The study of Mars and other planets, as well as the origin of life, could not be understood without the work that the Dr. Rafael Navarro Gonzalez conducted from his laboratory at the Institute of Nuclear Sciences of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). And it is precisely this institution that today pays tribute to the researcher who died on January 28, 2021, unveiling a plaque in his honor and naming the laboratories that for 35 years witnessed great discoveries under his charge.
The doctor Maria del Pilar Carreon Castro, director of the Institute was in charge of talking about her legacy. “It is a pleasure to be gathered to remember our colleague and friend Dr. Rafael Navarro González, an outstanding researcher, teacher and popularizer of science, as well as to recognize the tireless work he carried out in the study of Mars and the exoplanets, which he They positioned themselves as one of the most important scientists in their area, both in Mexico and in the world.”
Within his work, he can be recognized as the only Mexican researcher who has participated in a NASA robotic mission, with the Curiosity robot, and also collaborated in the preparation of the space mission ExoMars with the HABIT instrument.
Something for which the researcher is also recognized is that he promoted the study of astrobiology not only in Mexico, but also in Latin America and together with his work team they made important contributions to science, such as reviewing the role of volcanic and atmospheric lightning. in the origin of life and the detection of a possible nitrogen crisis for primitive life on earth. His attitude to discover new things led him to also discover a barren area in the Atacama desert and study extreme environments in the Orizaba peak, to later use them as soil models of the Martian environment.
His colleagues recalled that his extensive reflection on things led him to identify flaws in the detection of Martian life from a mission of the POThe reproduced the experiments of this mission and laid the foundation for future space missions and contributed to the detection of the necessary ingredients for life in the Martian environment.
“Of course, his innovative part could not be missing, he was creating things all the time and that is how he managed to develop a novel tool for the study of the paleoclimatic environment of the earth through the analysis of gases trapped in petrified lightning, known as fulgurites, highlights Carreon Castro.
“For all this and many other things, Dr. Navarro is a man who has been greatly missed since his departure,” said his colleague, but assured that what is comforting is that all this knowledge will last for many years, which is why the Institute of Nuclear Sciences, will have the Rafael Navarro González Laboratory Unit. He added that today not only is this space celebrated, it is celebrated, because on a day like today (April 25) he would be turning 62 years old. “Dear Rafael, your memory and essence will last forever,” he said.
A space that will remember its legacy
This space will be made up of the plasma chemistry and planetary studies laboratory, which were the spaces in which Navarro and his team worked for more than 35 years. Various atmospheric and planetary aspects related to the origin and evolution of the Earth have been investigated here. earth and the solar system, in addition to the search for life on mars. “This was precisely where the study of astrobiology began in Mexico and Latin America,” his colleagues recall.
Professor José de la Rosa, a colleague of today’s honoree, assured that the doctor’s legacy will continue in the laboratory. They will study the atmospheric processes that occur on Titan, Saturn’s largest moon, they will synthesize organic compounds of probiotic interest, they will work with biomarkers that allow the search for life on Mars and finally they will continue with the terraforming project of the red planet.
Pilar Carreon Castro He added that Dr. Navarro’s participation in teaching and human resources was very relevant, since he contributed to the training of 17 undergraduate, 14 master’s, 6 doctoral and one postdoctoral thesis students, even his students managed to open research groups in Mexico. , South America, Europe and the United States, which today contribute to this area of research.
Lastly, Dr. Fabiola Aceves Diazwidow of Navarro González, spoke a few words and shared family anecdotes, assured that they had always been very close and that to the country that Dr. Navarro had to go to, the family supported him, adapted, always with the awareness that his contributions would be of great importance.
He recalled that although this transition has been very difficult for the family, they have felt supported by the university community, their colleagues and, in general, the people who knew him or knew his work. “We all loved what Rafael did, because they looked like things from Star Wars, people liked it and were very enthusiastic about it. I can tell you without a doubt that today is present, today I no longer want to mourn his death, but celebrate his life, “he concluded.