When NASA launches its big new moon rocket for its Artemis I test mission, sitting in the commander's seat will be a "moonikin," a mannequin headed to the moon.
NASA held a contest to pick the name — and the story behind it begins 52 years ago in Laredo, Texas.
Deanna Campos Rank and Yvette Campos Brewer remember their dad getting a call in the middle of the night.
"We ran down and we asked Mom what was going on. I think my dad was getting ready. And she said NASA called and something was going on, and NASA needed my dad," Yvette said.
Their dad, Arturo Campos, was a NASA engineer.
Apollo 13 was scheduled to land on the moon that day in 1970. But, an oxygen tank had burst, and the three astronauts on board were now fighting to save their space craft.
NASA needed Campos at the Johnson Space Center on the double to help.
Campos had already come up with a contingency plan for this exact scenario. So he and a team of engineers got busy helping the astronauts make the repair.
It worked. And Apollo 13 safely returned to earth.
The astronauts got a heroes welcome and a ticker-tape parade in Chicago.
Yvette Campos Brewer said the world was elated the astronauts were back safe.
“But I don’t think anybody really stopped to think, you know, who played what role or how they made it back. They were just home,” she said.
Campos’ family and friends were proud of him.
But there weren't any big celebrations for him.
He quietly went back to work at NASA for 10 more years until he retired. Campos passed away in 2001.
Campos' daughters never expected another communication from the space agency would change their lives again.
But it did when they got an email last year to tell them their dad would be entered in a NASA contest to name the Artemis 1 "moonikin."
Deanna remembers the day they found out their father won.
“We jumped for joy. We actually went to the cemetery, to him and mom’s plot. We took champagne and we celebrated,” she said.
Commander "Moonikin" Campos will collect data for future missions that will eventually take real people to the moon.
Yvette said it all feels surreal.
“It’s just awesome that even after his death, his name will be attached to helping NASA flights," she said."That’s just crazy, crazy good."
Campos’ hometown of Laredo issued a proclamation that will forever recognize Artemis 1’s launch day as “Commander 'Moonikin' Campos Day.”
"He's left an indelible mark certainly here in Laredo but on our nation and the world," said Laredo Mayor Pete Saenz. "His lifetime achievements are thrusting up to the moon to fulfill his dream once again enabling others to build on his legacy."
