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Rodolfo Neri Vela, Ph.D., (born 19 February 1952)
is a NASA payload specialist. He was the first
Mexico|Mexican astronaut to fly in space.


==Personal data==
Born  in Chilpancingo, Guerrero. Single. 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; systems,
1975–1976, University of Essex, United
Kingdom|UK;

==Experience==
The IEEE|Institute of Electrical and Electronics
Engineers, United States|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 (radio)|antenna theory
and design, satellite communications systems, and
Earth station technology.

==Space flight experience==
Rodolfo Neri flew on the crew of STS-61-B Space
Shuttle Atlantis|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 extra-vehicular
activity|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.

==External links==
*
http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/nerivela-r.h
tml NASA biography page (original source for this
article)
*http://www.spacefame.org/vela.html Rodolfo Neri
Vela, International Space Hall of Fame inductee