by Kenneth Barnes editors@ccgmag.com


for


generations, and the current push toward space by both government and private entities is making the possibility of space travel accessible for millions of people. Astronauts can at times be seen at a mythical level of achievement that is impossible for most people. Yet every astronaut started as a student with a work ethic and a dream.


In 1985, astronaut Rodolfo Neri Vela broke barriers by not only launching into space aboard the NASA space shuttle but he was also the fi rst Mexican to ever travel in space and only the second Latin American. In total, he spent 165 hours in space. These few hours in space were the result of many years of study and research. The start of his higher education was an undergraduate degree in mechanical and electrical engineering. This was followed by the study of telecommunications systems for a master’s degree. A doctoral degree was completed in the area of electromagnetic radiation with post- doctoral studies in waveguides.


Do you remember when you fi rst became interested in space?


Since I was a kid, living with my parents and grandparents in the small town of Chilpancingo, Guerrero, Mexico, where I was born. In particular, I enjoyed looking at the stars and wondering about the mysteries of the universe. However, I didn’t even think of going to space, simply because astronauts did not exist at that time. When Yuri Gagarin orbited our planet, I already was nine years old. Today, the perspective for kids and young people is diff erent because they know that hundreds of men and women have become astronauts. Later on, when I was a university engineering student in


www.hispanicengineer.com


Mexico City, I became very interested in learning about communications satellites.


>How did your education contribute to your ability to become a NASA astronaut? Was there a specifi c course of study that made the diff erence?


Precisely my studies in satellite communications and radio frequency antennas, my M.Sc. and my Ph.D. obtained from English universities, with grants from England and Mexico, gave me the grounds and knowledge to be considered as a good candidate to represent Mexico in the fi rst NASA mission with a citizen representing a Latin American country, which, by the way, was a unique challenge.


Are there unique challenges that Hispanics may face while pursuing a career in space-related sciences and industries?


In my view, there is no diff erence between a Hispanic and any other person. All that matters is to have a goal [and] a plan and to work hard— sometimes really, very hard. It is the key to fi nd success. Of course, there is competition, but in the end, someone has to win, and those who have been constantly preparing with responsibility all the time will be, no doubt, the recipients of incredible opportunities in the future.


What are the promising areas of research and industry in the coming years?


The list is very long: new materials, signal processing and better algorithms, miniaturization of instruments, electronics and computer components, higher transmission speeds, larger memory, robotics, interplanetary medicine, building in new worlds using 3-D printers, local minerals and resources, more powerful engines to reduce space travel times, better spacesuits, factories orbiting Earth and taking advantage of microgravity, and so on.


Is there any advice you would give your younger self?


Mmm…to my younger self…I don’t know…I am very happy and satisfi ed with my decisions. Perhaps I have made several mistakes in my lifetime, like every human being, but in the end, I think I have lived as I wished, and for that I am thankful to God, my family, and my country. Wait a minute… yes! Remember, I went to space when the Internet didn’t exist, and once it was available, I wish I had taken much earlier the decision to make my website, which now you are invited to


visit: www.rodolfonerivela.com. HE


HISPANIC ENGINEER & Information Technology | SPRING 2018


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