Rodolfo Neri Vela facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rodolfo Neri Vela
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| Born | February 19, 1952 |
| Alma mater | National Autonomous University of Mexico (BS) University of Essex (MS) University of Birmingham (PhD) |
| Occupation | Engineer |
| Space career | |
| NASA Payload Specialist | |
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Time in space
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6d 21h 04m |
| Selection | 1985 NASA Group |
| Missions | STS-61-B |
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Mission insignia
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Rodolfo Neri Vela was born on February 19, 1952. He is a famous Mexican scientist and astronaut. In 1985, he flew into space on a NASA Space Shuttle mission. He was the second person from Latin America to travel to space, after Arnaldo Tamayo Méndez from Cuba.
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About Rodolfo Neri Vela
Rodolfo Neri Vela was born in a city called Chilpancingo, in Guerrero, Mexico. Today, he is a professor at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). He teaches about telecommunications in the Electrical Engineering department.
His Education Journey
Rodolfo Neri Vela went to high school at Escuela Nacional Preparatoria 2. He then studied at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). In 1975, he earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical and electrical engineering.
He continued his studies in England. In 1976, he received a master's degree in science from the University of Essex. His studies focused on telecommunications systems. Later, in 1979, he earned a doctorate degree from the University of Birmingham. His research was about electromagnetic radiation. He also spent a year doing more research on waveguides at the same university.
What He Does
Rodolfo Neri Vela has worked with several important engineering groups. These include the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers in the United States and the Institution of Electrical Engineers in the UK.
He also worked at the Institute of Electrical Research in Mexico. There, he focused on radio communications. His work involved designing antennas and planning systems for satellite communications. He also worked on technology for Earth stations.
Currently, he is a full-time researcher at the Faculty of Engineering at UNAM. He works in the Electric Engineering department. In 2016, he even lent his voice to the Latin American version of the movie Finding Dory as a narrator!
His Amazing Space Journey
Rodolfo Neri Vela was a Payload Specialist on the STS-61-B mission. This mission took place on the Space Shuttle Atlantis. It lasted from November 26 to December 3, 1985. The shuttle launched at night from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. It landed at Edwards Air Force Base in California.
During this mission, the crew launched several communication satellites. These included the MORELOS-B, AUSSATT II, and SATCOM K-2 satellites. Astronauts also performed two long spacewalks. These spacewalks showed how to build parts of a space station.
Tortillas in Space
Rodolfo Neri Vela had a special request for his food in space: tortillas! Because of his request, NASA started including tortillas on shuttle and ISS missions. Tortillas are great because they don't make crumbs like regular bread. This means they are less likely to float around and cause problems in the spacecraft.
Astronauts can use tortillas to make sandwiches or hold other food items. Since then, tortillas have become a favorite food for astronauts. They are now a standard item on the ISS. Crewmembers use them to make breakfast burritos, hamburgers, and even peanut butter and jelly sandwiches!
By the end of his mission, Neri Vela had traveled 2.4 million miles (3.8 million km). He orbited Earth 108 times. He spent over 165 hours in space.
See also
- List of Hispanic astronauts
In Spanish: Rodolfo Neri Vela para niños
