Franklin Chang-Díaz
A Costa Rican immigrant who shattered barriers to become the first Latino NASA astronaut, then launched a private company to revolutionize rocket propulsion.
Born 1950 (age 76)·American astronaut and entrepreneur·Birthday: April 5·Baby Boomers
Biography
Franklin Chang-Díaz’s journey began not in a laboratory, but as a boy in San José, Costa Rica, dreaming of space while watching Sputnik cross the sky. At 17, with little English and $50, he moved alone to the United States, determined to become an astronaut. He battled through high school, earned a PhD in applied plasma physics from MIT, and became a naturalized citizen, all while NASA remained a distant goal. His persistence paid off in 1980 when he was selected, making him the first naturalized U.S. citizen from Latin America to wear the astronaut pin. Over seven Space Shuttle missions, a record he shares, he logged over 1,600 hours in space, including three spacewalks. Never one to rest, after retiring from NASA he founded Ad Astra Rocket Company, relentlessly pursuing his vision of the VASIMR plasma rocket, a technology that could slash travel time to Mars. His life is a testament to the power of a singular dream, pursued across borders and disciplines.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Franklin was born in 1950, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Franklin Was Born
The biggest hits of 1950
#1 Movie
Cinderella
Best Picture
All About Eve
#1 TV Show
Texaco Star Theatre
Franklin's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1950Born
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1955Started school
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1963Became a teenager
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1966Could drive
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1968Could vote
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1971Turned 21
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1980Turned 30
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1990Turned 40
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
2000Turned 50
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 60
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 70
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 76 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Selected as a NASA astronaut in 1980, becoming the first person of Latin American origin to join the corps.
- Flew on a record-tying seven Space Shuttle missions between 1986 and 2002.
- Performed three spacewalks, including work on the construction of the International Space Station.
- Founded and leads Ad Astra Rocket Company, developing the advanced VASIMR plasma rocket engine.
- Inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame in 2012.
Did You Know?
He applied to NASA four times before finally being selected as an astronaut candidate.
He was the first naturalized U.S. citizen to become an astronaut.
Asteroid 11573 Chang-Díaz is named in his honor.
He holds a patent for a concept of a fusion-powered spacecraft.
He served as director of the Advanced Space Propulsion Laboratory at the Johnson Space Center.
““The rocket equation is a harsh mistress, and she demands innovation.””
