Tag: NASA Astronaut, Frank Rubio, ISS, longest time in space, landing time, landing place.
After an extraordinary 371-day sojourn in space, NASA’s astronaut Frank Rubio, alongside his fellow crew members, safely returned to Earth on Wednesday, setting a new American record in the realm of space exploration.
Frank Rubio, accompanied by Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin, bid farewell to the International Space Station (ISS) and commenced their journey back to Earth at 3:54 a.m. EDT, culminating in a secure landing with the assistance of parachutes at 7:17 a.m. (5:17 p.m. Kazakhstan time), southeast of the remote town of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan.
“This remarkable feat by Frank represents not only a significant milestone but also a substantial contribution to our understanding of long-duration space missions,” remarked NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “Our astronauts make immense sacrifices, enduring extended separations from their homes and loved ones in the pursuit of knowledge. NASA is profoundly appreciative of Frank’s unwavering service to our nation and his invaluable scientific contributions aboard the International Space Station. He exemplifies the pioneering spirit that will guide us in future lunar, Martian, and interstellar explorations.”
Frank Rubio embarked on his inaugural space voyage on September 21, 2022, alongside Prokopyev and Petelin. Rubio’s space odyssey now holds the distinction of being the lengthiest single spaceflight ever undertaken by a U.S. astronaut, surpassing the previous 355-day record held by NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei.
Throughout his mission, Rubio completed an astonishing 5,936 orbits and traversed a distance exceeding 157 million miles, equivalent to approximately 328 round trips to the Moon and back. He witnessed the arrival of 15 visiting spacecraft and the departure of 14 visiting spacecraft, encompassing both crewed and uncrewed cargo missions.
Rubio’s extended mission offers researchers a unique opportunity to study the effects of prolonged spaceflight on the human body, a crucial consideration as NASA plans its return to the Moon through the Artemis missions and prepares for future exploration of Mars.
Rubio, Prokopyev, and Petelin initially launched aboard the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft but, due to a coolant leak, returned to Earth aboard the Soyuz MS-23. The Soyuz MS-22 capsule returned to Earth without its crew after the Soyuz MS-23 capsule was launched as a replacement on February 23, 2023.
Following comprehensive post-landing medical evaluations, the crew will journey back to Karaganda, Kazakhstan, with Rubio subsequently boarding a NASA aircraft destined for his return to Houston.
During his record-breaking mission, Rubio dedicated numerous hours to conducting a wide array of scientific experiments aboard the space station, ranging from plant research to studies in physical sciences.
With the departure of the Soyuz MS-23 spacecraft, the commencement of Expedition 70 officially transpired aboard the space station. The orbital outpost continues to host NASA astronauts Loral O’Hara and Jasmin Moghbeli, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Andreas Mogensen, who assumed the role of station commander on September 26, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, and Roscosmos cosmonauts Konstantin Borisov, Oleg Kononenko, and Nikolai Chub.
Mogensen, Moghbeli, Furukawa, and Borisov are scheduled to return to Earth in February 2024, following a brief handover with the crew of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission. O’Hara is slated to return in March 2024, while Kononenko and Chub will remain aboard the station for an entire year, concluding their mission in September 2024.
Stay updated on space station activities by following @space_station, @ISS_Research on X, and the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts, in addition to the space station blog.