JOHNSON SPACE CENTER — NASA on Tuesday made its announcement on its upcoming Artemis III mission, and a soldier who was formerly stationed at Fort Carson will be in attendance.
U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command's Col. Frank Rubio will operate as Mission Specialist 1 of the upcoming mission, according to announcements from the U.S. Army and NASA.
“I am deeply honored to be selected for Artemis III, a mission that continues to build upon the foundation for the day Americans return to the surface of the Moon,” Rubio said in a Army release. “My Army training has been an integral part of the experiences that have enabled me to be ready for this mission. Serving taught me to lead under pressure, how to stay calm when the stakes are highest, and how to put the mission and the people beside you above yourself. To those who have served, and to every Soldier and military family serving right now: you are the backbone of everything we do as a nation, including this. I am honored to represent the Army on the highest ground!”
Listen to what the Fort Carson Alum had to say regarding the selection.
At the time of his NASA selection in 2017, Rubio was serving with the 3rd Battalion of the 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Fort Carson, CO.
Other members of the upcoming Artemis III mission include:
- NASA astronaut and U.S. Marine Corps Colonel, Ret. Randy Bresnik, commander
- ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Luca Parmitano, pilot
- NASA astronaut Andre Douglas (Ph.D.), mission specialist
Rubio and the other members of the Artemis III mission will go on to partake in a series of tests surrounding the Orion spacecraft and demonstrate the docking capabilities of human landing systems in development by Blue Origin and SpaceX according to NASA.
The mission is set for 2027 and is an essential mission ahead of Artemis IV, which seeks to put the first planned crewed mission at the lunar South Pole in 2028.
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