Nacer Chat is an engineer for NASA in the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California. At 37, he just received a prize from the American President Joe Biden. A consecration for those who grew up in Agen.
“Sorry for the delay, I was an appointment with Space X …” This sentence seems to be crazy, but it is the daily life that the Nacer Chat, telecommunications engineer lives at NASA. Originally from Agen, he was one of the 400 winners who received the President Early Career Award for scientists and engineers (Pecase) from Joe Biden, the former President of the United States on January 14. This is the highest award of the United States government to scientists and engineers at the beginning of their career.
Poured at the Théophile-de-Viauet College at the Palissy High School
“In the past four years there are only ten people from NASA who were elected,” said Nacer Chaha, who had already received the award for IEEE colleagues for his contribution to Cubesat and SpaceCraft antennas for interplanetary missions in 2021. A consecration for those who did not imagine one day to work for NASA. »» »
The enthusiast of mathematics is a graduate of the School of Engineers in Rennes, which was held by the Théophile-de-Viau College at the farewell of Agen and then by the Lycée Bernard-Palissy in Agen in Agens. He then carried out a thesis at the Institute for Electronics and Digital Technologies. His research director, who “had contact with NASA”, was able to connect one of the prestigious centers of the American Space Agency, Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), eleven years ago.
Since Pasadena, California, the 37 -year -old researcher has developed new technologies that enable scientists to advance spatial research.
He worked in particular on an ingenuity, the first motorized device that made a flight on another planet, embedded by the rover endurance during the Mission March 2020 He is not lost. This worked because he survived more than 70 flights for two and a half years, ”explains the engineer.
Then he worked with the national center for spatial studies (CNES) and Thalès in France as part of the SWOT project, a spatial observation mission of the earth, the aim of which is to examine surface water and to measure the changes in the increase in the surface of the lakes , Rivers, rivers, tanks and oceans.
With the JPL, the engineer is currently working on the development of radars to land on the surface of the moon and Mars in cooperation with the American Company Space X, founded by Elon Musk.
A journey that forces respect and partially granted the Pierre Roudanès to the Hiege of the French judo, who was his teacher at the Judo School in the passage d’agen. “He taught me the mental strength. I saw him last time when I returned to Agen two years ago. It was a very strong moment. He was so happy to see me again and proud of my career. told him that it was probably due to him because it was this mental force that made it possible for me to never give up.
Another number also counted a lot for him, Doctor Firouz, one of the former DPL directors who died in 2023. “When I received this award, it was the first person I thought of. It was one of my mentors, he helped me a lot, says the scientist. When some people doubted, he told them: “Oh, don’t worry, I know nacer well. If he says he will arrive there, he will arrive there. It helped me a lot.” “
But above all his parents, Algerian immigrants, the Nacer Chat thanks. »» »
The pride of having arrived there today – but while he showed great modesty, the engineer, born in Angers, is young people to see great. “We often convey the idea that people who work on NASA are enjoying. It is a shame because there is the impression that it is not within reach. While it’s wrong. »» »
A nice message of hope for all the Lot-ET-Garonnais that dream like Nacer Chat, to reach the stars.