MIAMI (WSVN) - One of the four astronauts who was unveiled by NASA as a member of the Artemis III crew has strong South Florida connections.
Tuesday’s announcement of the Artemis III crew comes as part of the space agency’s plan to eventually land astronauts on the moon.
Frank Rubio, who will serve as one of the mission specialists for Artemis III, is a California native who considers Miami to be his true hometown.
“Wow is the right word. What an incredible blessing and an honor to be standing here representing all of you,” said Rubio during the Tuesday ceremony.
Rubio graduated from Miami Sunset Senior High School. He then went on to serve in the military as a parachute jumpmaster.
Over his military career, Rubio successfully completed more than 650 skydives.
Prior to joining NASA, he also served as an Army aviator and was deployed in Bosnia, Afghanistan and Iraq.
In 2017, the U.S. Army colonel was selected to join the space agency.
Rubio is no stranger to space exploration either.
He first reached space aboard a Russian spacecraft, which was intended to be stationed at the International Space Station for about six months. Technical problems ended up making Rubio’s stay in orbit aboard the station last more than 370 days.
The unexpected lengthy trip broke the record for the longest space mission by a U.S. astronaut.
“Of course, it’s amazing to be in space, but more than anything, you feel very proud to do things that will help humanity,” said Rubio in Spanish.
He credits his family being by his side every step of the way through his journey.
“To my wife and our four amazing kids: thank you for your sense of adventure and your resiliency. You guys have made all of this possible,” said Rubio.
The next step in his journey will be helping NASA take a closer step to once again reach the surface of the moon.
“Thank you and go Artemis III,” said Rubio.
Andre Douglas, another mission specialist on the Artemis III crew, was also born in Miami.
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