NASA astronaut Frank Rubio has safely returned to Earth after spending a record-setting 371 days in space. Rubio, along with Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin, landed southeast of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, with the help of parachute assistance. Following post-landing medical exams, the crew will return to Karaganda before Rubio boards a NASA plane back to Houston, where he will reunite with his family.
Rubio’s extended stay in space was unexpected, as technical difficulties led to a coolant leak in their Soyuz spacecraft. To ensure the crew’s safety, a different spacecraft had to be sent to the space station, causing a delay in Rubio’s return. With a total of 371 days in space, Rubio has now surpassed the previous record of 355 days held by Mark Vande Hei.
This extended mission is not simply a milestone, but also contributes significantly to our understanding of long-duration space missions. Bill Nelson, the administrator of NASA, stated that Rubio’s contribution provides valuable insights as the agency plans for future exploration missions to the Moon through the Artemis program and beyond to Mars.
During his time aboard the International Space Station, Rubio conducted various scientific investigations. His research included studying the adaptation of bacteria to spaceflight and the effects of exercise on human physiology during long-duration missions. The mission also allowed researchers to observe the impact of prolonged spaceflight on the human body.
Throughout his stay, Rubio completed nearly 6,000 orbits around the Earth and traveled over 157 million miles, equivalent to approximately 328 trips to the Moon and back. This record-setting mission represents a significant achievement for NASA and further establishes the agency’s commitment to exploration and discovery in outer space.
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