NASA astronaut will participate in events and learn about STEAM projects in El Salvador. His mother confirmed that it is an official visit organized by the United States Government.

Salvadoran-origin astronaut, Frank Rubio, will visit the country starting from Monday, April 8th, with an agenda organized by the Embassy of the United States in El Salvador.

The diplomatic headquarters reported that Rubio will learn about projects and leaders in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) fields in El Salvador, also inspiring growth builders in the country.

During the events organized by the embassy, Rubio will share his knowledge about space, his experiences in orbit, and the experiments he conducted at the International Space Station (ISS).

The NASA astronaut caused a sensation after being selected to be part of a mission that traveled to the ISS in September 2022. Initially, the trip was for six months; however, it was extended to 371 days in low Earth orbit after the discovery of a coolant leak from its original trip while docked to the orbital outpost. Therefore, Rubio broke the record for the longest time spent in space by an American astronaut.

In July 2023, while in orbit, he had a telephone conversation with President Nayib Bukele, who thanked the scientist for becoming an inspiration for young Salvadorans to pursue their dreams and dare to excel professionally. "You are a pride for us, the fact that a son of Salvadorans has reached space for the first time [...] you are a great pride for the Salvadoran blood that runs through your veins," President Bukele expressed on that occasion.

The astronaut returned to Earth on the Soyuz MS-23 spacecraft on September 27, 2023, after concluding the mission. In total, Rubio and his colleagues traveled more than 253 million kilometers and completed 5,963 orbits of the Earth.

Rubio graduated from the United States Military Academy, holds a bachelor's degree in International Relations, and a doctorate in Medicine. Additionally, he joined the astronaut corps and was part of the U.S. Army as a flight surgeon and helicopter pilot in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Official Mission

Myrna Argueta, Frank Rubio's mother, lives in Conchagua, La Unión, and is excited for her son's arrival in El Salvador next week. Argueta confirmed that this trip is an official mission of the NASA astronaut.

"In reality, this is an official trip by the Government of the United States, and he is coming to thank the Salvadoran people who have been so supportive of him and who feel so proud of his successes," Argueta pointed out.

The last time Argueta saw Rubio was in the days leading up to the start of his mission in September 2022, and the last time Rubio visited El Salvador, he was still studying at the Military Academy in West Point, United States.