Franklin Chang-Diaz

Franklin Ramón Chang-Díaz (born April 5, 1950, San José, Costa Rica) is an American mechanical engineer, physicist and former NASA astronaut. He is the sole founder and CEO of Ad Astra Rocket Company as well as a member of Cummins' board of directors. He became an American citizen in 1977. He is a veteran of seven Space Shuttle missions, tying the record, as of 2021 for the most spaceflights (a record set by Jerry L. Ross). He was the third Latin American, but the first Latin American immigrant NASA Astronaut selected to go into space. Chang-Díaz is a member of the NASA Astronaut Hall of Fame. ()