Miguel Rodriguez (NASA)

Miguel Rodriguez (born 1952) is the Chief of the Integration Office of the Cape Canaveral Spaceport Management Office.

Early years

Rodriguez was born in the Santurce section of the city of San Juan, Puerto Rico where he received both his primary and secondary education. In 1969, he along with millions of other people around the world, witnessed the historical moment when Neil Armstrong from the Apollo mission stepped on the moons surface. Like so many other young men at the time, Rodriguez felt inspired to consider a career in the Space program of the United States known as NASA. [ [http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/shuttle/support/engineering/ Behind the Scenes] ]

After Rodriguez graduated from Colegio Espiritu Santo high school in Hato Rey, in 1971, he enrolled in the University of Puerto Rico's Mayaguez campus, where the Engineering College is located. Rodriguez earned his Mechanical Engineer Degree in 1976, however he had applied for a job with NASA in 1975, a year before his graduation. After graduating, he was called for an interview and offered a job in NASA. He became a mechanical engineer, designing parts for the Space Shuttle, at Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. [http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/about/biographies/rodriguez.html Rodriguez] ]

Career in NASA

In 1979, Rodriguez was transferred to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Eventually he was named Director of Stennis Operations, where he managed facility construction, security and other programs for 4,500 Stennis personnel. Rodriguez worked as the integration engineer for the STS-31 Hubble Space Telescope payload. He also led a team which developed a tool for capturing employee competencies and skills in support of the Agency Core Capabilities Assessment. [http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/shuttle/support/people/mrodriguez.html Miguel Rodriguez] ]

Rodriguez entered management in 1986, serving as the Chief of the Integration Office at Cape Canaveral Spaceport Management Office at the Air Force Station. He is also the Director of the Propulsion Directorate at Stennis Space Center located in Mississippi. His team worked on the STS-114 engines which were installed on the Discovery Space Shuttle launched in August 2005. [http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/shuttle/support/people/mrodriguez.html Miguel Rodriguez] ]

Awards and recognitions

Among his awards and recognitions from NASA are:
*Two NASA Exceptional Medals
*KSC Leadership Award
*NASA Silver Snoopy award. [http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/about/biographies/rodriguez.html Rodriguez] ]

Currently

Miguel Rodriguez lives in Mandeville, Louisiana with his wife and is currently working on his Masters in mechanical Engineering Degree form the University of Central Florida.

References

ee also

*List of famous Puerto Ricans
*

External links

* [http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/shuttle/support/people/mrodriguez.html Miguel Rodriguez]