TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — NASA recently awarded Taiwanese American scientist Jacob Chung (莊念祖) the Exceptional Public Service Medal for his contributions to rocket fuel research and space exploration.

Chung’s research focuses on effectively reducing the evaporation loss of rocket fuel during storage and transportation, enabling rockets to travel further with limited fuel, per CNA. His findings assist human exploration of the Moon, Mars, and asteroids.

Chung, who moved to the U.S. in 1971 at the age of 23, earned his bachelor’s at National Tsing Hua University (NTHU), per University of Florida. He is now a professor at the University of Florida’s Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.

“As an immigrant, I have been telling myself that I need to pay back my adopted country,” Chung said. “With this award, I feel that I have done my share of making contributions toward NASA’s mission and purpose, and also my patriotic work has been recognized.”

Chung mentioned he was grateful for his studies at NTHU which gave him a solid foundation. He said many of his professors had returned from the U.S., bringing the latest knowledge.

Regarding his work with NASA, Chung has collaborated with the U.S. agency for 32 years, reported CNA. His research on rocket fuel allowed NASA to reduce losses by 50-60%, meaning that the same amount of fuel can allow rockets to travel twice the distance.

At 77, Chung said he has no plans to retire. “The greatest joy is discovering new knowledge and turning the unknown into knowledge,” Chung said.