Michael López-Alegría

Michael López-Alegría is a retired NASA astronaut and engineer. He was born in Cuba and immigrated to the United States as a child. López-Alegría earned a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Miami and later earned a master's degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Florida. He was selected as a NASA astronaut in 1993 and flew on four space shuttle missions, including a 167-day stay on the International Space Station. López-Alegría is also a professor of engineering at the University of Florida and has written extensively on space exploration and the challenges of space travel. He is based in Gainesville, Florida.