Students who created a small mission badge that was carried into orbit have met Frank Rubio, the NASA astronaut who is scheduled to fly on the upcoming Artemis III mission to the Moon. The meeting brought the classroom project into direct contact with a veteran crewmember who has extensive time in space.
Rubio, who served a year-long stint aboard the International Space Station earlier in his career, has been announced as part of the Artemis III crew. That mission is planned to return humans to the lunar surface as part of NASA’s broader Artemis programme, which seeks to establish a sustainable human presence on and around the Moon.
The pupils’ badge, which was designed as part of an educational outreach activity, was previously flown in space before the face-to-face meeting with Rubio. The encounter offered the students an opportunity to connect their design work with a tangible element of human spaceflight and to meet a professional astronaut preparing for a high-profile exploration mission.
Events linking school projects and space missions are a common feature of outreach efforts aimed at promoting STEM education and public interest in space exploration. Meeting an astronaut with long-duration flight experience and a forthcoming role on Artemis III can serve as a practical illustration of career pathways in science and engineering for young people.
Organisers said the visit aimed to inspire the pupils to continue their involvement in science and technology activities, underscoring the value of hands-on projects that tie classroom learning to real-world missions. The encounter also highlighted the public-engagement component of large space programmes, which often include educational partnerships to broaden support and participation.