NASA astronaut and United States Army colonel
Read this biography in English here.
Frank Rubio was selected by NASA to be part of the astronaut candidate class of 2017. He reported for duty in August 2017. Before joining NASA, Rubio, a Florida native, graduated from the United States Military Academy United States in 1998 and earned a Doctor of Medicine from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in 2010. Prior to attending medical school, he served as a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter pilot and flew more than 1,100 hours, including more than 600 hours of combat and imminent danger conditions during deployments to Bosnia, Afghanistan and Iraq. Dr. Rubio is a family doctor and flight surgeon, certified by the respective associations. At the time of his selection, he was on duty in the 10th.either Special Forces Group (Air) at Fort Carson, Colorado.
Rubio was born in Los Angeles, California, but considers Miami, Florida, his hometown. He is married to Deborah Rubio, and the couple has four children. His mother, Myrna Argueta, lives in El Salvador.
He is a graduate of Miami Sunset Senior High School in Miami, Florida. He earned a bachelor’s degree in international relations from the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. He earned a Doctor of Medicine from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland. He did his residency in family medicine at Martin Army Community Hospital, Fort Benning, Georgia.
Frank was a member of the West Point parachute team, the “Black Knights.” He achieved the level of Jumpmaster with over 650 free fall parachute jumps, with a Pro rating and a D license holder. He served as a platoon leader in Company A, 82.either Regiment of the 2.either Assault Aviation Battalion (REDHAWKS), and as a company commander in Company A, 3.either Of 2.either of Aviation (STORM). Rubio also worked as a clinical supervisor, executive medical services provider and flight surgeon at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama. At the time of his selection, in June 2017, he was a battalion surgeon for the 3rd.er 10th Battalion.either United States Army Special Forces Group (Air).
Rubio reported for duty in August 2017 and completed two years of training as an astronaut candidate. He received training as a flight engineer and Expedition 68 crew member. Rubio, along with cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitry Petelin of Roscosmos, lifted off for the International Space Station on Wednesday, September 21 aboard the Soyuz MS-spacecraft. 22 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Rubio and his crewmates landed on September 27, 2023, breaking the record for the longest uninterrupted space flight for an American astronaut, with a mission duration of 371 days. This was his first space flight. During the mission, he traveled 253,330,550 kilometers (157,412,306 statute miles) and watched the arrival of 15 visiting vehicles to the space station. Rubio performed three spacewalks for a total of 21 hours, 24 minutes of total spacewalk time.
Rubio has been awarded the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star with two oak leaf clusters, the Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters, the Air Medal, the Army Commendation with four oak leaf clusters, the Army Achievement Medal with four oak leaf clusters, the NATO Medal and the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal. He has a Combat Action Badge, a Senior Airman Badge with Astronaut Device, a Flight Crew Medic Badge, a Parachutist Badge, a Senior Space Badge, a Pathfinder Badge, and an Air Assault Badge. Rubio has also been awarded the Iraq Campaign Medal with two oak leaf clusters and the Afghanistan Campaign Medal.
He is a graduate of the United States Army Command and General Staff School, the Maneuver Captains Course and the United States Army Officer Basic Course, the Joint Logistics and Resource Management Course for Defense and Security , the Cavalry Leadership Course and the United States Army Flight Crew Medical Course.
