MAY 5, 2025 – On National Astronaut Day, a day dedicated to celebrating America’s space icons, the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command team members honor the Army’s active-duty astronauts: Col. Anne McClain, Col. Andrew “Drew” Morgan and Col. Frank Rubio.
Rubio serves as the NASA Detachment’s branch chief in Houston, McClain currently serves approximately 150 miles above the Earth on the International Space Station, and Morgan serves as the U.S. Army Garrison Kwajalein Atoll commander.
“The space environment is rapidly changing,” McClain said. “The sheer number of people, corporations and countries involved in spaceflight has grown exponentially in recent years. With that comes security concerns. Protecting our people and assets in space is a critical, no-fail mission both today and in the future.
“Our allies and adversaries are rapidly developing new technologies, and it is our responsibility to stay ahead of that innovation curve,” she added. “As an Army astronaut, I bring a unique perspective on the realities of living and working in space.”
National Astronaut Day has been observed on May 5 since 2017 to celebrate astronauts as American heroes. It commemorates the first United States human spaceflight by Astronaut Alan Bartlett Shepard Jr. who became the first American in space aboard the Freedom 7 Space capsule on May 5, 1961. The brief suborbital flight lasted 15 minutes and reached a height of 116 miles into the atmosphere.
McClain, who was an aviation officer before being selected by NASA as part of Astronaut Group 21 in 2013, was the youngest astronaut on the NASA roster at 34 years old. She flew to the ISS on Dec. 3, 2018, and returned June 25, 2019, after 204 days in space. On Dec. 9, 2020, McClain was announced as one of NASA’s Artemis astronauts.
She was selected as commander for the SpaceX Crew-10 mission to the ISS with the flight launching on March 14.
“I have been interested in spaceflight and exploration as long as I can remember,” McClain said. “Looking up at the stars, instead of just appreciating the beauty, I had a desire to go visit them.”
McClain said as she progressed in her education and career, she found she also liked the types of things that are required to be selected as an Army astronaut. McClain said she loved flying helicopters and would still be doing it had she not been selected.
“I love working with teams in an operational environment, like we do in the Army,” McClain said. “I love being an Army leader, with enormous amounts of responsibility. I loved becoming an engineer and appreciated the thought processes and creativity that came with it. At some point, I realized that I may actually be able to pull off being an astronaut.
“This job is incredible,” she added. “Every day, we have a new problem to solve, a new technology to test, or a new partner to work with. No two days are alike. Every day, I leverage the skills I learned in the Army about operating in a complex environment with a high performing team. What’s not to love about that?”
Morgan, who served as an Army emergency physician with Special Forces, was also selected by NASA in June 2013 as one of the eight members of NASA Astronaut Group 21. He launched into space on July 20, 2019, joining the ISS Expeditions 60, 61 and 62. Morgan returned to Earth on April 17, 2020, ending a 272-day spaceflight, the fourth-longest single spaceflight for an American astronaut.
“As a kid growing up in the 1980s, I was fascinated by science, exploration and the space shuttle program,” Morgan said. “I even saw a space shuttle land at Edwards Air Force Base (California) when I was in junior high school. Then later, NASA selected and trained me as an astronaut because of education, skills and attributes that I received through my 30-year career in the Army. I like working in small teams of highly skilled operators that work together for a shared goal.
“Now, I am a commander of a small island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean on Kwajalein Atoll, where we operate and maintain radar systems that keep track of objects and spacecraft in space that are interesting to the military,” he added.
Rubio, who was a Medical Corps officer, was selected as a member of NASA Astronaut Group 22 in 2017 and launched into space on Sept. 21, 2022. His mission was originally planned to last around six months, however Rubio returned to Earth on Sept. 27, 2023.
With that flight, Rubio broke retired Col. Mark T. Vande Hei’s previous record of 355 days for the longest spaceflight by an American astronaut with 371 days.
“A friend recommended that I apply for the NASA astronaut program in 2015, and I decided to do a deep dive into the NASA mission and organization,” Rubio said. “My desire to join the NASA team only grew stronger as I became more familiar with the mission and as I got to know the people who are part of this incredible team.”
He said Army astronauts provide crew perspective and expertise about living and operating in space to both NASA and other agencies to further the nation’s interests in the current and future space environments.
“I love knowing that when the NASA team innovates and explores, we do so to both inspire those around us, and to help improve the quality of life for current and future generations, not only in our nation, but for all of humanity,” Rubio said. “It’s an incredible privilege and an honor to represents our nation as both an Army Soldier and astronaut.”
Story by Jason Cutshaw
U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command