The plasma engine project by Costa Rican Franklin Chang was recognized as one of the top 10 new aerospace technologies.
The distinction was awarded by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), considered the most important professional society in the field.
The project by Costa Rican astronaut Franklin Chang, denominated Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket (Vasmir), is being developed through the Ad Astra Rocket Company, which has locations in Houston, Texas and in Liberia, Costa Rica.