Rafael Navarro-Gonzalez
{{Short description|Mexican astrobiologist (1959–2021)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2021}}
{{Infobox scientist
| name = Rafael Navarro-Gonzalez
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| birth_name = Rafael Navarro-González
| birth_date = {{birth date|1959|04|25}}
| birth_place = Mexico City, Mexico
| death_date = {{death date and age|2021|01|28|1959|04|25}}
| death_place = Mexico
| field = Astrobiology, Biology, Chemistry, Physics
| education = Bachelors in Biology, Doctorate in Chemistry
| alma_mater = National Autonomous University of Mexico (BS-Biology); University of Maryland at College Park (PhD-Chemistry)
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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 astrobiologist who worked with the Curiosity rover on the planet Mars, and who helped lead researchers in the identification of ancient organic compounds on the planet.{{cite news |author=Staff |title=Rafael Navarro-González - Mexico - 1959-2021 |url=https://www.iau.org/administration/membership/individual/16738/ |date=February 14, 2021 |work=International Astronomical Union |accessdate=April 6, 2021}}{{cite news |last=Shekhtman |first=Lonnie |title=NASA's Curiosity Team Names Martian Hill That Serves as Mission 'Gateway' |url=https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasas-curiosity-team-names-martian-hill-that-serves-as-mission-gateway |date=April 5, 2021 |work=NASA |accessdate=April 6, 2021 }}{{cite news |author=Staff |title=Rafael Navarro-González |url=https://mars.nasa.gov/resources/25774/rafael-navarro-gonzalez/ |date=April 5, 2021 |work=NASA |accessdate=April 6, 2021 }} 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 in the origin of life on Earth. His professional work included the SAM component on the Mars Science Laboratory, and the HABIT instrument on the Exomars mission.
He died from complications of COVID-19 on January 28, 2021. In April 2021, NASA named a mountain, "Rafael Navarro Mountain", on the planet Mars in his honor.
File:Rafael_Navarro_Mountain.png; April 5, 2021)
