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Rafael Navarro-Gonzalez, also known as Rafael Navarro-González and Rafael Navarro, (April 25, 1959 – January 28, 2021) was a Mexican 
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the federal government of the United States, US federal government responsible for the United States ...
astrobiologist who worked with the ''Curiosity'' rover on the planet Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun. It is also known as the "Red Planet", because of its orange-red appearance. Mars is a desert-like rocky planet with a tenuous carbon dioxide () atmosphere. At the average surface level the atmosph ...
, and who helped lead researchers in the identification of ancient organic compound
Some chemical authorities define an organic compound as a chemical compound that contains a carbon–hydrogen or carbon–carbon bond; others consider an organic compound to be any chemical compound that contains carbon. For example, carbon-co ...
s on the planet. He was an internationally recognized scientist who merged laboratory simulations, field studies and modeling based on biology, chemistry and physics. Navarro-Gonzalez noted the significance of volcanic lightning
Volcanic lightning is an electrical discharge caused by a volcanic eruption rather than from an ordinary thunderstorm. Volcanic lightning arises from colliding, fragmenting particles of volcanic ash (and sometimes ice), which generate static elec ...
in the origin of life
Abiogenesis is the natural process by which life arises from abiotic component, non-living matter, such as simple organic compounds. The prevailing scientific hypothesis is that the transition from non-living to organism, living entities on ...
on Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to Planetary habitability, harbor life. This is enabled by Earth being an ocean world, the only one in the Solar System sustaining liquid surface water. Almost all ...
. His professional work included the SAM component on the Mars Science Laboratory
Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) is a robotic spacecraft, robotic space probe mission to Mars launched by NASA on November 26, 2011, which successfully landed ''Curiosity (rover), Curiosity'', a Mars rover, in Gale (crater), Gale Crater on Augus ...
, and the HABIT instrument on the Exomars
ExoMars (Exobiology on Mars) is an astrobiology programme of the European Space Agency (ESA).
The goals of ExoMars are to search for signs of past life on Mars, investigate how the Martian water and geochemical environment varies, investigate ...
mission.
He died from complications of COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic.
The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...
on January 28, 2021. In April 2021, NASA named a mountain, "Rafael Navarro Mountain", on the planet Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun. It is also known as the "Red Planet", because of its orange-red appearance. Mars is a desert-like rocky planet with a tenuous carbon dioxide () atmosphere. At the average surface level the atmosph ...
in his honor.
Awards and honors
*Alexander von Humboldt Medal
Alexander () is a male name of Greek origin. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history.
Variants listed here are A ...
(2009)
* Molina fellowship (first recipient)
* World Academy of Sciences Award in Earth Sciences
See also
*List of mountains on Mars
alt=four peaks, Comparison of Mount Sharp (Aeolis Mons) to three Earth peaks
This is a list of all named mountains on Mars.
Naming
Most Martian mountains have a name including one of the following astrogeological terms:
* '' Mons'' — lar ...
* List of mountains on Mars by height
alt=four peaks, Comparison of Mount Sharp (Aeolis Mons) to three Earth peaks
This is a list of all named mountains on Mars.
Naming
Most Martian mountains have a name including one of the following astrogeological terms:
* ''Mons'' — larg ...
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Navarro-Gonzalez, Rafeal 1959 births 2021 deaths Astrobiologists ExoMars Mars Science Laboratory Mexico City Mexican scientists Planetary scientists Deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico