NASA Astronaut Receives Rare Army Badge for Space Missions

During a Pentagon ceremony, NASA astronaut and Army Reserve officer Maj. Kate Rubins picked up the Army's rarest badge, the Basic Aviation Badge with Astronaut Device and Space Badge. Her two operational space trips on the International Space Station (ISS) and her singular path combining research, space exploration, and military duty are honored here.

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Rubins started his trip to space in civilian capacity. She made history as the first person to sequence DNA in space flying as a flight engineer during NASA Expeditions 48/49 in 2016 and 63/64 in 2020. Driven to serve her nation, Rubins joined the Army Reserve following her second mission, commissioned as an officer.

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Awarded solely to troops who have flown more than 50 miles above Earth, the Astronaut Device, a sign of elite status, Rubins said that her Army land navigation training matched skills required for moon missions, when conventional navigation aids like GPS are not accessible.

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Using her background as a microbiologist to handle military difficulties, her military post with the 75th U.S. Army Reserve Innovation Command centers on synthetic biology and biodefense.

Rubins considered her twin positions in the Army and NASA: "I'm here for the daily opportunity to serve. This emblem is a really appropriate acknowledgement of that goal.

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Rubins, who represents the synergy between military duty and space exploration, joins a select group of Army personnel to get this accolade.

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