Ysgol Cemaes pupils meet NASA astronaut Frank Rubio after space badge project
Pupils at the Anglesey school questioned Rubio about life in space and saw him hold a badge designed by one of their classmates.
Pupils at Ysgol Cemaes on Anglesey met NASA astronaut Frank Rubio online on Wednesday, 21 October, and questioned him about life in space, BBC Wales reported. The meeting gave children whose school had sent a pupil-designed badge into orbit a chance to speak directly with an astronaut who had lived aboard the International Space Station.
The pupils asked Rubio about living and working in space, including the challenges and excitement of space travel, according to BBC Wales. During the session, he held up a badge designed by a pupil at the school. Earlier this year, pupils had seen a badge they designed floating in zero gravity aboard the space station.
How Ysgol Cemaes prepared for the astronaut call
Acting headteacher Guto Rhys told the BBC that pupils were ‘extremely excited’ ahead of the conversation. They had watched videos about life on the International Space Station and life in space, he said. The school’s connection with astronauts was helped by former pupil Dr Melanie Coathup, a scientist who works closely with them, BBC Wales reported.
Harry, 9, said learning about NASA and Rubio was the most interesting part of his day. Sofia, 8, said the class had learned about medical kits for astronauts and watched videos showing how people brush their teeth and sleep in space. Their questions followed that classroom preparation, giving the children a chance to connect what they had studied with Rubio’s experience.
Lola, 9, said her cousin had won the school’s badge design project and that she was delighted to see Rubio holding the badge. Ruby, 10, described speaking to a real astronaut as ‘very cool’. The school plans to design another badge soon, with the aim of sending it into space next year, BBC Wales reported.
Frank Rubio’s spaceflight and Artemis III role
NASA says Rubio spent 371 days aboard the International Space Station before landing in Kazakhstan on 27 September 2023. His stay lasted far longer than planned after a fault affected the spacecraft due to bring him and fellow astronauts home, according to BBC Wales. That extended mission gave the pupils a firsthand account of living in orbit.
NASA identifies Rubio as a mission specialist assigned to Artemis III. It describes that mission as a planned low Earth orbit test of rendezvous and docking capabilities needed for future lunar landings. NASA’s astronaut biography gives no launch date for his assignment.
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Sources and context
- Pupils who designed a badge sent to space meet NASA astronautBBC Wales
- NASA Astronaut: Frank RubioNASA
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.