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He spent a record-breaking 371 days in space and, with his dedication and medical knowledge, contributed to scientific knowledge, apparently inherited from the Bicentennial Man himself, which in a few decades could provide humans with artificial organs operating under conditions of Weightlessness was created. Francisco “Frank” Rubio (Los Angeles, age 48) is a doctor and American soldier of Salvadoran descent with more than 1,100 flight hours as a Blackhawk helicopter pilot and an accomplished skydiver with more than 650 free-fall jumps.
In 2022, Rubio was deployed for a six-month mission to the International Space Station (ISS), but remained stranded due to a glitch in the cooling system of the Russian Soyuz MS-23 spacecraft, which had to be used to return to Earth. He ended up being up there for more than a year, longer than any other NASA astronaut. As a doctor, he knew the toll this feat took on his body – in space, bone density is lost quickly due to the absence of gravity, which can also affect the immune and cardiovascular systems. Military training, he says, helped him overcome the psychological challenge of an extended stay in space. Before joining NASA, he served on missions in Bosnia, Afghanistan and Iraq. He was selected by the US space agency in 2017 and underwent two years of intensive training before his first special attack.
On the ISS, the astronaut decided to focus on what he loves most: medicine. He worked on hundreds of experiments. One of his favorite visits was to the BioFabrication Facility (BFF), a biological 3D printer, where he participated in research evaluating the mechanical properties of a meniscus printed with biological cells and inks. “We learned how cells behave in weightlessness and how they divide. “It's a little different because the shape of the cells is a little easier to maintain,” he says in Spanish from NASA in a brief interview via video call with América Futura.
“While I was there we were able to make a piece of the meniscus and that is incredible. And that's because microgravity is leaving us. This wouldn't be possible on Earth because gravity is too strong. And now we have to figure out how to restore this meniscus and maintain the structure of these tissues on Earth,” he explains. If this type of research continues to advance, Rubio says complete organs such as a heart or liver could be made in 10 or 20 years.
The experiment, on which he worked with NASA colleagues Warren Hoburg and Stephen Bowen and UAE astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi, could have a huge impact on the quality of life for thousands of people if implemented. To give an example: The incidence of acute meniscus tears is more than 50 cases per 100,000 people per year worldwide.
Bioproduction in space can be more productive due to the absence of gravity. Medical applications that could be developed under these conditions include mass production of stem cells, creating advanced disease models, or expanding 3D bioprinting capabilities. In addition, this branch of biotechnology can contribute to the development of new sustainable materials for fashion, sports or construction.
Frank Rubio in the International Space Station's Destiny laboratory module, November 3, 2022. NASA
During one of his three spacewalks, Rubio also helped install a small satellite deployment device. In addition, he took part in growing hydroponic vegetables on the ISS and was even wrongly accused by his colleagues of eating a few tomatoes that had been put in a bag but ended up floating in the canals of the space complex for months. He was only exonerated when other astronauts found them months later, when he was already back on Earth. Learning to grow in water or air will largely depend on the space race in the future.
The daily challenges of life in space
Rubio had prepared to spend six months in space – which usually takes a long time on a NASA mission due to the strenuous responsibilities for those doing it – but he ended up staying for more than a year, making him a US astronaut authority in space. spend more time on the space station. He surpassed Mark Vande Hei, who had spent 355 consecutive days on the ISS.
— Did you miss Earth more when you were stranded on the ISS, or do you miss being there even more now?
“When I was there I missed my family and the house every day, but now that I'm here, four months after returning, I think I want to be back there at least once a week for at least a few times .” Hours to enjoy the view, to enjoy floating and because being part of a complete space mission is something very special and I miss it a little, he admits with a laugh.
Although he doesn't miss it all the time. Rubio asserts that daily operations in space are less glamorous than we imagine on Earth. The astronaut spent an entire year isolated from the world, floating without eating fresh food, without hugs from family or without walks. He spent the day working for up to nine hours on very demanding investigations where there is no margin for error, as well as maintenance and training tasks.
They were intense and timed days, he says, during which, among other things, the astronauts were exposed to continuous sunlight and lost muscle mass despite exercising for two hours a day. “It takes a few months to get used to this rhythm,” he says. Additionally, Rubio says he missed seeing the running water. The astronauts wash themselves with a wet towel and brush their teeth with their mouths almost closed to prevent the liquid from dissipating throughout the station and contaminating other rooms where research is being carried out. Once used, toothpaste can be spit out onto a cloth, but he chose to swallow it. “I swallowed it twice a day for a whole year,” he admits with a laugh. “It’s part of the operation.”
The space race has led several generations to idealize the work of astronauts, men and women who risk their lives for science. And while the views from space are spectacular, the emotional, physical and professional toll is hard and challenging. “I believe that each of the 370 days I spent in space was special and that on each day there was a spectacular image that added to the beauty of the overall experience of being there,” he says.
Frank Rubio during a spacewalk in his Extravehicular Mobility Unit on November 15, 2022. NASA
For him, the biggest challenges in space are biological in nature, namely adapting to life without gravity. And although some tycoons seem to have already ushered in the era of space tourism, Rubio believes people are not yet ready for long space stays lasting more than a year or two. NASA estimates that with current technology, a round-trip flight to Mars and back could take three years and to Pluto up to 40 years. However, the astronaut makes it clear: “What seems impossible today will one day be normal.”
“I believe that mentally and physically there are people who can push themselves a little harder than normal. And these kinds of people are needed now to advance the space race,” he says. It is a task that he assures requires “a lot of strength” and a good team behind it. “It is very important to have a strong family, a strong community that supports you to be successful,” he emphasizes.
Rubio feels privileged to be part of a progressive mission “advancing science and technology and doing things to improve life for all of humanity.” His love for this job makes him want to continue for a few more years. “And God willing, we may return to space for much more.” 371 days are not enough for the NASA astronaut who has been on the International Space Station for the longest consecutive time.
Latinos in Space
There are 15 astronauts of Hispanic origin who have traveled to space with NASA or its allies. These are some of his milestones:
- Arnaldo Tamayo Mendezfrom Cuba, was the first person of Hispanic origin to travel into space in 1980.
- Rodolfo Neri Velafrom Mexico, was the first Hispanic to fly on the US space shuttle in 1985. He also introduced tortillas to the astronauts' diet.
- Franklin Chang Diazfrom Costa Rica, was the first Hispanic-American in space in 1986. He holds the record of having traveled into space seven times.
- Ellen Ochoaof Mexican origin, was the first Hispanic female astronaut in 1993. She was also the first person of Hispanic descent to lead NASA's Johnson Space Center.
- Jose Hernandezwhose parents were immigrants from Mexico, became the first astronaut to use Twitter in Spanish from space in 2009.
EL PAIS inatoa wazi sehemu ya América Futura kwa mchango wake wa habari ya kila siku na ya kimataifa kwa maendeleo endelevu. Kama unataka kuunga mkono uandishi wetu wa habari, jiandikishe hapa. Alifanya kazi kwa muda wa siku 371 katika anga na kwa kujitolea kwake na maarifa yake ya kitiba, alichangia maarifa ya kisayansi, ambayo inaonekana alirithi kutoka kwa Bicentennial Man mwenyewe, ambayo katika miongo michache inaweza kuwa na wanadamu na viungo bandia vinavyofanya kazi chini ya hali ya weightlessness. Francisco Rubio (Los Angeles, 48) ni daktari na askari wa Marekani wa asili ya Salvador na zaidi ya saa 1,100 za kuruka kama rubani wa helikopta ya Blackhawk na skydiver mwenye mafanikio na zaidi ya kuruka kwa kuanguka huru 650. Rubio alitumwa kwa miezi sita kwenye kituo cha anga cha kimataifa, lakini alishindwa kurudi duniani baada ya tatizo la mfumo wa baridi ya chombo cha anga cha Urusi cha Soyuz-23. Aliendelea kufanya kazi hiyo kwa zaidi ya mwaka mmoja, muda mrefu kuliko mwanasafiri mwingine yeyote wa NASA. Kama daktari, alijua athari za mafanikio hayo kwa mwili wake - katika anga, msongamano wa mifupa hupoteza haraka kwa sababu ya kutokuwa na mvuto, ambayo pia inaweza kuathiri mfumo wa kinga na moyo. Anasema kwamba mazoezi ya kijeshi yalimsaidia kushinda tatizo la kisaikolojia la kukaa angani kwa muda mrefu. Kabla ya kujiunga na NASA, alihudumu katika misheni nchini Bosnia, Afghanistan na Iraq. Alichaguliwa na shirika la anga la Marekani mwaka 2017 na alipitia miaka miwili ya mafunzo makali kabla ya shambulio lake la kwanza la kipekee. Alipokuwa kwenye kituo cha anga cha kimataifa, mwanaanga huyo aliamua kukazia fikira kile anachopenda zaidi: tiba. Alifanya mamia ya majaribio. Katika ziara yake ya kwanza katika Biophilic 3D Printer, alishiriki katika utafiti wa kutathmini mali ya mitambo ya meniscus iliyochapishwa na seli za kibiolojia na wino. <unk>Tulijifunza jinsi chembe zinavyojiendesha zikiwa bila uzito na jinsi zinavyogawanyika. "Ni tofauti kidogo kwa sababu umbo la seli ni rahisi kidogo kudumisha, "anasema kwa Kihispania kutoka NASA katika mahojiano mafupi kupitia simu ya video na América Futura. <unk>Wakati nilikuwa huko tuliweza kufanya kipande cha meniscus na hiyo ni ya ajabu. Hii ni kwa sababu microgravity ni nguvu ya juu ya dunia. Hilo halingewezekana duniani kwa sababu nguvu za uvutano ni zenye nguvu sana. Na sasa tunapaswa kujua jinsi ya kurejesha meniscus hii na kudumisha muundo wa tishu hizi duniani, "anaeleza. "Rubio anasema, ""Ikiwa utafiti wa aina hii utaendelea kusonga mbele, viungo kamili kama vile moyo au ini vinaweza kutengenezwa katika miaka 10 au 20.""" Majaribio hayo, ambayo aliyafanya pamoja na wenzake wa NASA Warren Hoburg na Stephen Bowen na mwanaanga wa UAE Sultan Al Nayadi, yanaweza kuwa na athari kubwa kwa ubora wa maisha kwa maelfu ya watu ikiwa yatatekelezwa. Kwa mfano, ugonjwa wa meniscus ya machozi ni wa kawaida kwa watu zaidi ya 50 kwa kila watu 100,000 kila mwaka. Uzalishaji wa viumbe hai katika anga unaweza kuwa na matokeo zaidi kwa sababu ya kutokuwa na nguvu za uvutano. Matumizi ya matibabu ambayo yanaweza kuendelezwa chini ya hali hizi ni pamoja na uzalishaji wa wingi wa seli za shina, kuunda mifano ya magonjwa ya hali ya juu, au kupanua uwezo wa kuchapisha 3D. Kwa kuongezea, tawi hili la bioteknolojia linaweza kuchangia maendeleo ya vifaa vipya vya kudumu kwa mtindo, michezo au ujenzi. Rubio akiwa kwenye moduli ya maabara ya kituo cha anga cha kimataifa cha Destiny, Novemba 3, 2022. Wakati wa moja ya safari zake tatu za NASA, Rubio pia alisaidia kufunga kifaa kidogo cha kupeleka satelaiti. Pia, alishiriki katika kilimo cha mboga za hydroponic kwenye ISS na hata alishtakiwa na wenzake kwa kula nyanya chache ambazo zilikuwa zimewekwa ndani ya mfuko lakini zilikuwa zikipiga mbizi kwenye mifereji ya kituo cha anga kwa miezi kadhaa. Alipatikana na hatia tu wakati wanaanga wengine walipowapata miezi kadhaa baadaye, alipokuwa tayari amerudi Duniani. Kujifunza kukua katika maji au hewa itategemea sana mbio za angani katika siku zijazo. Rubio alikuwa tayari kutumia miezi sita katika nafasi - ambayo kwa kawaida inachukua muda mrefu katika misheni ya NASA kutokana na majukumu magumu kwa wale wanaofanya hivyo - lakini aliishia kukaa kwa zaidi ya mwaka mmoja, akimfanya kuwa mtawala wa anga wa Marekani katika nafasi. kutumia muda zaidi katika kituo cha angani. Mark Vande Heye alikuwa amekuwa akisafiri kwa siku 355 kwenye kituo cha anga cha kimataifa. Je, ulikosa dunia zaidi ulipokuwa kwenye kituo cha anga za juu au unakosa kuwa huko zaidi sasa? """Nilipokuwa huko nilikosa familia yangu na nyumba kila siku, lakini sasa nimekuwa hapa, miezi minne baada ya kurudi, nadhani nataka kurudi huko angalau mara moja kwa wiki kwa angalau mara chache. saa za kufurahia mtazamo, kufurahia kuelea na kwa sababu kuwa sehemu ya utume kamili wa anga ni kitu maalum sana na ninakosa kidogo, anakiri kwa kicheko." Ingawa yeye si kukosa ni wakati wote. Rubio anasisitiza kwamba shughuli za kila siku katika anga ni chini ya kuvutia kuliko tunavyofikiria juu ya Dunia. Aliishi mwaka mzima akiwa peke yake, bila kula chakula, bila kukumbatiwa na familia yake, wala kutembea. Alitumia siku nzima kufanya kazi kwa saa tisa katika uchunguzi mgumu sana ambapo hakuna nafasi ya makosa, pamoja na kazi za matengenezo na mafunzo. "Wakati huo, alisema, ""walikuwa na siku zenye nguvu na za muda, ambapo, miongoni mwa mambo mengine, wanaanga walikuwa wakikabiliwa na mwangaza wa jua na kupoteza misuli licha ya kufanya mazoezi kwa saa mbili kwa siku.""" "Inachukua miezi michache kuzoea mwendo huu", anasema. Kwa kuongezea, Rubio anasema kwamba alikosa kuona maji yanayotiririka. Wanaanga hujiosha kwa kitambaa cha mvua na kusafisha meno yao kwa mdomo uliofungwa ili kuzuia umajimaji huo usipite katika kituo hicho na kuchafua vyumba vingine ambapo utafiti unafanywa. Baada ya kutumiwa, dawa ya meno yaweza kutupwa kwenye kitambaa, lakini alichagua kuimeza. "Niliikula mara mbili kwa siku kwa mwaka mzima", anakiri akicheka. <unk>Ni sehemu ya operesheni.<unk> Mashindano ya anga yameongoza vizazi kadhaa kupenda kazi ya wanaanga, wanaume na wanawake ambao huweka maisha yao hatarini kwa ajili ya sayansi. Na wakati maoni kutoka angani ni ya kuvutia, gharama ya kihisia, kimwili na kitaaluma ni ngumu na changamoto. "Ninaamini kwamba kila moja ya siku 370 nilizotumia katika nafasi ilikuwa maalum na kwamba kila siku kulikuwa na picha ya kuvutia ambayo iliongeza uzuri wa uzoefu wa jumla wa kuwa huko. """ Rubio anatembea katika anga la angani akiwa kwenye chombo chake cha Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EUMU) mnamo Novemba 15, 2022. NASA inaamini changamoto kubwa zaidi katika anga ni ya kibiolojia, yaani, kukabiliana na maisha bila mvuto. Ingawa baadhi ya wakuu wa biashara ya anga ya juu wameanza kuanzisha utalii wa angani, Rubio anaamini watu hawajajitayarisha kwa kukaa angani kwa muda mrefu zaidi ya mwaka mmoja au mbili. NASA imekadiria kwamba kwa kutumia teknolojia ya sasa, safari ya kwenda na kurudi kwenye sayari ya Mars inaweza kuchukua miaka mitatu na kwenda Pluto inaweza kuchukua miaka 40. "Hata hivyo, mwanasafiri huyo wa anga anaeleza wazi: ""Kile kinachoonekana kuwa kisichowezekana leo siku moja kitakuwa cha kawaida."" ""Ninaamini kwamba kiakili na kimwili kuna watu wanaoweza kujisukuma kidogo kuliko kawaida." Na aina hizi za watu zinahitajika sasa ili kuendeleza mbio za angani, "anasema. Ni kazi ambayo yeye anahakikisha inahitaji <unk>nguvu nyingi<unk> na timu nzuri nyuma yake. "Ni muhimu sana kuwa na familia yenye nguvu, jamii yenye nguvu inayokuunga mkono kufanikiwa", anasisitiza. Rubio anajisikia kuwa na upendeleo kuwa sehemu ya ujumbe wa maendeleo - kuendeleza sayansi na teknolojia na kufanya mambo ili kuboresha maisha kwa wanadamu wote - Upendo wake kwa kazi hii unamfanya atake kuendelea kwa miaka michache zaidi. """Na Mungu akipenda, tunaweza kurudi angani kwa muda mrefu zaidi."" - NASA, siku 371 hazitoshi kwa mwanasafiri ambaye amekuwa kwenye Kituo cha Angani cha Kimataifa kwa muda mrefu zaidi mfululizo." Wanaanga 15 wa asili ya Kihispania wamesafiri angani na NASA au washirika wake. Arnaldo Tamayo Mendes, kutoka Cuba, alikuwa mtu wa kwanza wa asili ya Kihispania kusafiri angani mnamo 1980. Rodolfo Neri Vela, kutoka Mexico, alikuwa Hispania wa kwanza kuruka kwenye space shuttle ya Marekani mwaka 1985. Pia alianzisha tortilla katika mlo wa wanaanga. Franklin Chang Diaz, kutoka Costa Rica, alikuwa Hispania wa kwanza kwenda angani mwaka 1986. Anashikilia rekodi ya kusafiri angani mara saba. Ellen Ochoa, ambaye ni mwanamke wa kwanza kutoka Hispania kutembea angani, aliwasili nchini Mexico mwaka 1993. Pia alikuwa mtu wa kwanza wa asili ya Kihispania kuongoza Kituo cha Anga cha Johnson cha NASA. Jose Hernandez, ambaye wazazi wake walikuwa wahamiaji kutoka Mexico, alikuwa mwanaanga wa kwanza kutumia Twitter katika Kihispania kutoka angani mwaka 2009.