U.S. Army Colonel Frank Rubio, who holds the record for the longest U.S. spaceflight, recounted the "awesome" experience of re-entering Earth's atmosphere on Thursday during a Pentagon ceremony honoring his achievement.
"Colonel Rubio is a stellar example of someone who has made the absolute most of every opportunity," Army Secretary Christine Wormuth said as she presented him with an honor known as the Army Astronaut Device. "It's truly a privilege to have him representing the Army and the United States."
The Army awards the astronaut device to soldiers who complete at least one mission in space. Rubio joins Colonel Anne McClain and Colonel Andrew Morgan as the only active-duty soldiers authorized to wear it.
Rubio returned to Earth late last year on a Russian spacecraft after 371 days in the International Space Station.
The doctor and Black Hawk helicopter pilot flew more than 600 hours in dangerous combat deployments in Bosnia, Afghanistan and Iraq before joining NASA in 2017 to become an astronaut.
While becoming an astronaut is a childhood dream for many who go to space, Rubio said he fell in love with the space mission much later in life.
"It's few things where you can say, 'Hey, my job helps represent humanity.' And that's a pretty powerful thing to be a part of," Rubio told reporters at the Pentagon.
While he now holds the record for longest spaceflight by an American, he certainly wasn't trying to earn that title. Rubio's six-month mission was extended to 371 days after his initial ride home sprang a leak.
His year in space led to incredible highlights, he said, from hurtling into space on top of 300 tons of rocket fuel during the launch, to spacewalks, to re-entering Earth's atmosphere.
"You essentially become a meteorite, right, and you have a plasma layer a couple of inches below you, because of the heat that's generated. All those things were awesome," he said in response to a question from VOA.
Rubio is the son of Salvadoran immigrants, and he credits the Army for giving him the chance to reach for the stars.
"I think it is the American Dream. It really represents the fact that we have so many opportunities, and again, I really value the fact that it's the opportunity that's given, not the results," he said. "And I think if you put in the hard work, if you dedicate yourself and you sacrifice, really almost anything is possible."
Rubio told reporters on Thursday that he hopes to continue contributing to NASA's mission on the ground and back in space.
