Kathleen Rubins facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kate Rubins
|
|
|---|---|
.jpg)
Rubins in 2018
|
|
| Born | October 14, 1978 Farmington, Connecticut, U.S.
|
| Space career | |
| NASA astronaut | |
|
Time in space
|
300d 1h 31m |
| Selection | NASA Group 20 (2009) |
|
Total EVAs
|
4 |
|
Total EVA time
|
26h 46m |
| Missions | Soyuz MS-01 (Expedition 48/49) Soyuz MS-17 (Expedition 63/64) |
|
Mission insignia
|
    |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Biochemistry |
| Thesis | A Genome-Wide Analysis of the Host and Viral Responses during Poxvirus Infection (2005) |
| Doctoral advisor | Patrick O. Brown |
Kathleen Hallisey "Kate" Rubins (born October 14, 1978) is an American microbiologist and NASA astronaut. She was the 60th woman to fly in space. Kate launched to the International Space Station (ISS) on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft on July 7, 2016. She returned to Earth in Kazakhstan on October 30, 2016.
Kate was a crew member for Expedition 48/49 and Expedition 63/64 on the ISS. She has spent a total of 300 days, 1 hour, and 31 minutes in space. This is the fourth longest time in space for a U.S. female astronaut.
Contents
About Kate Rubins
Kate Rubins was born in Farmington, Connecticut. She grew up in Napa, California. When she was in seventh grade, she did chores to save money for a trip to Space Camp. This camp made her want to take more math and science classes. In July 2016, Kate became the third female Space Camp student to fly into space.
Kate graduated from Vintage High School in Napa, California, in 1996. She earned a degree in molecular biology from the University of California, San Diego. She also got her Ph.D. (a high-level degree) in cancer biology from Stanford University.
Kate always wanted to be an astronaut. At first, she thought she needed to be a fighter pilot. But she became interested in viruses and microbiology in high school. So, she decided to study those first. Her hobbies include flying planes, skydiving, and triathlons. She was even on the Stanford triathlon team.
Kate Rubins' Science Research
Kate Rubins did research on HIV-1 at the Salk Institute. She studied how HIV integrates (combines) with human DNA. She also looked at ways to stop HIV from doing this.
After getting her Ph.D. from Stanford, Kate worked with the U.S. Army and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She helped create the first model of smallpox infection. She also mapped the genes of the poxvirus. This helped her study how viruses interact with the body.
Studying Viral Diseases
Kate became a lead researcher at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research. She led a team studying viral diseases common in Africa. Her lab focused on poxviruses and how they interact with host cells. They also researched how viruses control cell processes.
She also studied the genes of Ebolavirus, Marburgvirus, and Lassa mammarenavirus. She worked with the U.S. Army to find treatments for Ebola and Lassa.
Space Radiation and Heart Health
Dr. Rubins also researched how space radiation affects astronauts. This radiation comes from ions and solar activity. Her team studied if NASA's risk estimates for radiation exposure were accurate. They found that more research is needed to understand these risks.
Another study Kate worked on looked at the life cycle of viruses like the smallpox virus. They used special proteins to watch how the Vaccinia virus works. This research is important for finding treatments for diseases like mpox. Mpox is a disease that can spread from animals to humans. In 2003, there was a small mpox outbreak in the U.S. This made the research even more important. The study helped track how viruses grow and spread. As of 2023, there is no cure for mpox, but it can be controlled.
Microbiology in Space
Kate was also part of a team that studied how microgravity (very low gravity) affects DNA and RNA. These experiments happened on the International Space Station (ISS) in 2017. They used special equipment called WetLab-2. This was one of the first successful microbiology experiments done in space. The results are very helpful for future space exploration and studying samples from space.
Kate Rubins' NASA Career
In July 2009, Kate was chosen as one of 14 new astronauts for NASA Astronaut Group 20. She completed her astronaut training. This included learning about International Space Station systems, spacewalks, robotics, and flight training. She also learned water and wilderness survival skills.
She became the 60th woman in space when she launched on Soyuz MS-01 in July 2016. As a child, she loved learning about constellations with her dad. She also enjoyed going to star-gazing events and science museums. She has always been fascinated by science and exploring the world.
In 2021 and 2022, Kate took part in the ESA PANGAEA program. This program trains astronauts in field geology. She trained in places like the Italian Dolomites and volcanic areas in Spain.
First Space Mission: Expedition 48/49
Kate left Earth for her first space trip on July 7, 2016. She flew on the new Soyuz MS spacecraft with Russian cosmonaut Anatoli Ivanishin and Japanese astronaut Takuya Onishi.
In August 2016, Kate became the first person to sequence DNA in space. She and other astronauts were trying to find ways to diagnose illnesses in space. They also wanted to identify microbes (tiny living things) on the ISS. This would help them know if these microbes were a health risk. Kate used a small, hand-held DNA sequencer called the MinION. She used it to sequence the DNA of a mouse, bacteria, and a virus. This experiment showed that DNA sequencing is possible in space. This could help identify germs and study how space affects living things.
During her first mission, she also spent 12 hours and 46 minutes on two spacewalks. She did these spacewalks with astronaut Jeffrey Williams. On her first spacewalk, she helped install the first International Docking Adapter. This allows U.S. commercial spacecraft to connect to the ISS. On her second spacewalk, Kate installed new high-definition cameras. She also captured the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, which brought supplies and took experiment samples back to Earth.
Kate returned to Earth on October 30, 2016, after 115 days in space.
Second Space Mission: Expedition 63/64
Kate launched on her second mission on October 14, 2020. This was also her 42nd birthday! She flew with Russian cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Sergey Kud-Sverchkov on Soyuz MS-17. She returned to Earth on April 17, 2021.
Kate was on the ISS during the 2020 United States elections. She was able to cast her vote from space.
During her second mission, she completed two more spacewalks. She did her third spacewalk with Victor J. Glover and her fourth with Soichi Noguchi in March 2021.
Research on Expedition 63/64
While on the ISS, Kate continued research for the Cardinal Heart experiment. This study looked at how microgravity affects heart tissues. Microgravity can cause changes in heart cells. This research could help us understand heart problems on Earth. It might also lead to new treatments for heart conditions. Dr. Rubins and other scientists created 3D heart tissue for this study.
Artemis Program and the Moon
NASA has announced the next group of astronauts for the Artemis program. This program aims to put the first American woman on the Moon. Dr. Rubins is one of the astronauts chosen for the Artemis Team. The program also plans to explore the Moon's surface. This will help us learn more about the possibility of human life on Mars.
Awards and Honors
Kate Rubins has received several awards and honors:
- Popular Science's Brilliant Ten (2009)
- National Science Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship (2000)
- Stanford Graduate Fellowship - Gabilan Fellow (2000)
- UCSD Emerging Leader of the Year (1998)
- Order of Omega Honor Society Scholarship Award (1998)
See also
In Spanish: Kathleen Rubins para niños
