The rocket is fully stacked, and the Artemis III astronauts are preparing for a summer launch.
“Our mission is going to contribute to such a big goal for the nation,” Mission Specialist Frank Rubio said.
Orlando sister station WESH’s Meghan Moriarty spoke with the Artemis III team at NASA’s “Max Power” air show Saturday.
Moriarty: What are you most confident in?
Rubio: “You know, the power of the NASA team. Ultimately, we know, like any mission, it’s not going to go perfectly, but I’m really confident that our team is ready to deal with any off-nominal situations. I think we can accomplish the goal, which is ultimately to get Artemis IV and V to the surface of the moon.”
Moriarty: How honored are you to be part of a mission that is probably one of the most complicated to date?
Rubio: “Yeah, it’s a privilege, right? We work all our lives in the math and engineering fields, and to be able to contribute to a really critical step toward achieving a final goal, it’s a huge honor.”
Artemis III Commander Randy Bresnik also spoke with WESH. He highlighted the importance of the mission, saying it’s necessary to practice in low Earth orbit ahead of future lunar landings.
Bresnik: “I’ve been blessed with the best crew, and we get to do the next most important step. It’s important to get the SLS and Orion and crews launching again next year so we can have that muscle memory by 2028 when we land people on the moon.”
Artemis III is set to launch in mid-2028.
