Rodolfo Neri Vela

Rodolfo Neri Vela is a renowned Mexican astronaut and engineer, born in Chilpancingo in 1951. He made history as the first Mexican and the second Latin American to travel into space, participating in a mission aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis in 1985. Throughout his career, he has been a strong advocate for the advancement of Mexico's scientific community and space exploration initiatives. Recently, he has been vocal in his criticism of the Mexican government's decision to merge the Agencia Espacial Mexicana (AEM) with the Sistema Satelital Mexicano (Mexsat), expressing concerns that this move could hinder the progress and future of the country's space agency.