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Rodolfo Neri Vela, Ph.D., (born 19 February 1952) is a NASA payload specialist. He was the first and remains so far the only Mexican astronaut to fly in space.
Personal data Born in Chilpancingo, Guerrero. Single. No Children. Enjoys jogging, cycling, swimming, reading, cinema, theatre, and music. Education Received a bachelor's degree in mechanical and electronic engineering, National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) 1975; studied the master's program in science, specialized in telecommunications systems, 1975-1976, University of Essex, UK; received a doctoral degree in electromagnetic radiation, University of Birmingham, UK, 1979; and one year of postdoctoral research in waveguides, University of Birmingham, UK. Experience The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, USA; The Institution of Electrical Engineers, UK; Asociación Mexicana de Ingenieros en Comunicaciones Eléctricas y Electrónicas, Mexico; and Colegio de Ingenieros Mecánicos y Electricistas, Mexico. Neri Vela has worked at the Institute of Electrical Research, Mexico, in the Radiocommunications Group, doing research and system planning on antenna theory and design, satellite communications systems, and Earth station technology. Space flight experience Rodolfo Neri flew on the crew of STS-61-B Atlantis (November 26 to December 3, 1985). STS-61B launched at night from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, and returned to land at Edwards Air Force Base, California. During the mission the crew deployed the MORELOS-B, AUSSATT II, and SATCOM K-2 communications satellites, conducted 2 six-hour spacewalks to demonstrate space station construction techniques with the EASE/ACCESS experiments, operated the Continuous Flow Electrophoresis (CRFES) experiment for McDonell Douglas and a Getaway Special (GAS) container for Telesat, Canada, conducted several Mexican Payload Specialists Experiments for the Mexican government, and tested the Orbiter Experiments Digital Autopilot (OEX DAP). At mission conclusion, Neri Vela had traveled 2.4 million miles (3.8 million km) in 108 Earth orbits and logged over 165 hours in space. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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