Miami man plays a pivotal role in the Artemis II mission as it continues its journey following last week's launch
A Miami native is playing a pivotal role in the historic Artemis II mission, which is continuing its journey following its launch last week. Adrian Ruiz, a cryogenics engineer, helped support the mission and ensured the rocket was ready for its final stage.
The South Florida connection to major events is a frequent occurrence, and the Artemis II mission is no exception. Ruiz works as a cryogenics engineer supporting Amentum at Kennedy Space Center. His primary responsibility is making sure the rocket is properly fueled.
"Basically setting up all the valves and making sure everything in the system is configured correctly," Ruiz said of his work. "We were the last ones on the pad. We opened the valves to let the liquid hydrogen flow, and we left the pad".
Ruiz's passion for science and space took root while attending Miami-Dade County Public Schools. He graduated in 2017 from the School for Advanced Studies and the Academy for Advanced Academics, accomplishments that the school district highlighted on social media.
"One of the things that I really enjoyed about it was that all the teachers were very supportive," Ruiz said, recalling his time there. "When I wanted to start the club, I was the first one to start a rocketry club. It was my friend and I, we basically got together and decided we were going to make rockets".
Ruiz traveled to Titusville to watch the launch, calling the experience "incredible". He was one of many spectators gathered to see history unfold, but for Ruiz, the moment held a deeper significance.
"I was kind of glued to my camera, taking pictures as many as I could — with one eye on the camera and one eye looking at it," Ruiz said.
He also offered a message of encouragement to students in his hometown: "If it's something that you're passionate about or excited about doing, keep going," Ruiz said. "It doesn't matter how many people or who says that what you're doing is not great or important. Keep going with whatever you think is important to you".
The Artemis II mission is expected to return to Earth on Friday, with a splashdown planned off the coast of California around 8:07 p.m. local time.