Astronaut Frank Rubio joins Artemis III mission to the Moon

Astronaut Frank Rubio, already holding the record for the longest single space mission by a U.S. astronaut, has been selected as part of the crew for NASA's Artemis III mission, which aims to return humans to the Moon. Rubio expressed his honor at being chosen for the project, considered vital for the future of space exploration.

"What an incredible blessing and honor it is to be here representing all of you," Rubio stated during a ceremony at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. His record-setting mission occurred after a technical issue with his return vehicle from the International Space Station, leading him to return to Earth aboard a Russian Soyuz capsule.

“

What an incredible blessing and honor it is to be here representing all of you.

The Artemis III crew also includes Commander Randy Bresnik, Pilot Andre Douglas, and Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano, representing the European Space Agency (ESA). Parmitano also conveyed his emotion during the presentation, thanking his family and acknowledging the support from Italy, ESA, and NASA throughout his career.

Scheduled for 2027, Artemis III will focus on testing critical systems and technologies essential for future lunar missions. Unlike Artemis II, which performed a flyby of the Moon, Artemis III will operate closer to Earth, serving as a high-complexity trial run for operational procedures. This includes evaluating the capabilities of NASA's Orion spacecraft and conducting rendezvous and docking maneuvers with lunar modules developed by private companies SpaceX and Blue Origin.

“

I apologize in advance if I get emotional.