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Sep 27, 2023 - Science

NASA astronaut back on Earth after record-breaking spaceflight

headshot
NASA astronaut Frank Rubio after landing in Kazakhstan and waving to the camera smiling while being carried to the medical tent

Frank Rubio after landing on Earth. Photo: NASA/Bill Ingalls

NASA astronaut Frank Rubio is back on Earth after a record-breaking 371 continuous days in space.

Why it matters: Understanding what happens to the human body during long-duration stays in orbit is crucial before sending astronauts to farther afield destinations like the Moon and Mars.

Driving the news: The Russian Soyuz spacecraft carrying Rubio and Russian cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin back from the International Space Station landed in Kazakhstan at 3:54am ET on Wednesday.

  • Rubio, Prokopyev and Petelin were initially expected to come back to Earth earlier, but when a problem with their Soyuz popped up, they were forced to extend their time in space, instead coming home aboard a different Soyuz.
  • Rubio orbited the Earth about 5,936 times during his spaceflight.

What they're saying: "Our astronauts make extraordinary sacrifices away from their homes and loved ones to further discovery," NASA administrator Bill Nelson said in a statement.

  • "NASA is immensely grateful for Frank's dedicated service to our nation and the invaluable scientific contributions he made on the International Space Station."

The big picture: The previous record for the longest continuous spaceflight by an American was held by NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei at 355 days.

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