Francisco Carlos "Frank"[2] Rubio (born December 11, 1975) is an American flight surgeon, US Army colonel and helicopter pilot, and NASA astronaut. He holds the American record for the longest spaceflight at 371 days.
Frank Rubio | |
|---|---|
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| Born | Francisco Carlos Rubio December 11, 1975 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Education | United States Military Academy (BS) Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (MD) |
| Space career | |
| NASA astronaut | |
Time in space | 370d 21h 23m |
| Selection | NASA Group 22 (2017) |
Total EVAs | 3 |
Total EVA time | 21h 24m |
| Missions | Soyuz MS-22/Soyuz MS-23 (Expedition 67/68/69)[1] |
Mission insignia |    |
Early life and education
editFrancisco Rubio was born on December 11, 1975 to Salvadoran parents.[3][4] As a child, he lived in El Salvador for the first six years of his life, after which his family moved to Miami, Florida, where he attended Miami Sunset Senior High School. He attended the United States Military Academy and earned a bachelor's degree in international relations.[3][5]
Military career
editAfter commissioning as a second lieutenant in the US Army, Rubio became a UH-60 Blackhawk pilot. Rubio was a platoon leader in A Company, 2nd Battalion, 82nd Aviation Regiment, and a company commander for A Company, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Aviation Regiment. As a pilot, Rubio had over 1,100 hours of flying time, including 600 combat hours during operations in Bosnia, Iraq, and Afghanistan.[3]
Rubio received a Doctorate of Medicine from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, and completed a family medicine residency at Fort Benning. He served as a clinic supervisor and flight surgeon at Redstone Arsenal. At the time of his selection as an astronaut candidate, Rubio was the surgeon for 3rd Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group at Fort Carson.[3]
NASA career
editIn 2017, Rubio was selected as a member of NASA Astronaut Group 22 and began his two-year training.[3][6]
On July 15, 2022, NASA announced he would fly onboard Soyuz MS-22 on a mission to the International Space Station.[7]
Rubio launched aboard Soyuz MS-22 alongside Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitry Petelin on September 21, 2022. His mission was originally planned to last around six months with a return to Earth in early 2023. However, damage to the spacecraft extended the mission, and Rubio returned to Earth with Soyuz MS-23 on September 27, 2023. This means he broke Mark T. Vande Hei's previous record for the longest spaceflight by an American astronaut with 371 days.[8]
Personal life
editAwards and honors
editRubio has received the Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal, and Army Achievement Medal. He is a graduate of the US Army Command and General Staff College, and has earned the Senior US Army Aviator, Pathfinder, Air Assault, and the Parachutist badges.[3] Rubio is the recipient of the very rare Army Astronaut Device.[9]
See also
editReferences
edit
- ^ @roscosmos (January 20, 2022). "В случае подписания между Роскосмосом и @NASA соглашения о «перекрестных» полетах на МКС Анну Кикину планируется вв…" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ Tonnessen, Heather (June 5, 2017). "Astronaut Frank Rubio". nasa.gov. NASA. Retrieved September 11, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g Garcia, Mark (February 7, 2018). "Astronaut Frank Rubio". NASA. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
- ^ a b Morales, Maria. "The Last Frontier". American Voices. Time. Retrieved September 13, 2018.
- ^ "Francisco Carlos "Frank" Rubio". Spacefacts. April 18, 2018. Retrieved September 13, 2018.
- ^ Harwood, William (June 7, 2017). "NASA introduces 12 new astronauts". CBS News. CBS Broadcasting. Retrieved September 13, 2018.
- ^ "Rogozin removed as head of Roscosmos as seat barter agreement signed". www.spacenews.com. July 15, 2022. Retrieved July 15, 2022.
- ^ "Russia to launch new capsule to return space station crew". WJXT. January 11, 2023. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
- ^ Hurd, Christopher (February 22, 2024). "Record-breaking Army astronaut receives rare qualification device". www.army.mil. Retrieved February 23, 2024.