NASA’s Record-Breaking Astronaut to Discuss Yearlong Mission

NASA astronaut Frank Rubio will speak to media about his record-breaking mission aboard the International Space Station during an Earth-to-space call at 12:15 p.m. EDT Tuesday, Sept. 19. The virtual news conference is the final opportunity to hear from Rubio while he is in orbit on this yearlong mission.

The call will stream live on NASA Television, the NASA App, and the agency’s website. Watch online at:

https://www.nasa.gov/live

Rubio is scheduled to return to Earth on Wednesday, Sept. 27, after spending 371 days in low Earth orbit, earning him the record of the longest single spaceflight by an American. The previous United States record of 355 days, which Rubio surpassed Sept. 11, was held by NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei. The two had the opportunity to chat earlier this month.

Media interested in participating must RSVP to the newsroom at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston no later than two hours before the start of the event at 281-483-5111 or [email protected]. To ask questions, reporters must dial into the news conference no later than 12 p.m., Sept. 19. Questions also may be submitted on social media using #AskNASA.

Rubio was born in Los Angeles, and considers Miami his hometown. He was selected by NASA to join the 2017 astronaut candidate class and graduated two years later. He launched aboard Roscosmos Soyuz MS-22 on Sept. 21, 2022. This is his first trip to space. In addition to serving as an astronaut, Rubio also is a medical doctor and lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army.

For more than 22 years, astronauts have continuously lived and worked aboard the space station, testing technologies, performing science, and developing the skills needed to explore farther from Earth.