Astronaut Frank Rubio returns to Earth after breaking U.S. spaceflight file

NASA’s Rubio and two cosmonauts had been caught on the Worldwide Area Station after their return spacecraft sprung a leak.

NASA astronaut Frank Rubio provides a wave as he’s helped from the Soyuz MS-23 craft after 371 days in house. Credit score: NASA/Invoice Ingalls

After an unintended year-long keep in house, NASA astronaut Frank Rubio and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dimitri Petelin efficiently touchdown this morning, Sept. 27, 2023, close to the city of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan. The crew initially launched into house on Sept. 21, 2022. After medical exams, the crew shall be flown to their hometowns. Cosmonauts Prokopyev and Petelin shall be flown to Star Metropolis, Russia, whereas Rubio will board a NASA jet to Houston.

The three crew members spent 371 days in low-Earth orbit aboard the Worldwide Area Station (ISS), giving Rubio the file for the longest spaceflight by a U.S. astronaut. The earlier mark had been set by NASA’s Mark Vande Hei at 355 continuous days in orbit. The world file for the longest stint in house is held by cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov, who logged 437.7 consecutive days on the Russian house station Mir throughout 1994 and 1995. 

“Frank’s record-breaking time in house isn’t just a milestone; it’s a significant contribution to our understanding of long-duration house missions,” stated NASA Administrator Invoice Nelson in a press release. “Our astronauts make extraordinary sacrifices away from their houses and family members to additional discovery. NASA is immensely grateful for Frank’s devoted service to our nation and the invaluable scientific contributions he made on the Worldwide Area Station. He embodies the true pioneer spirit that can pave the way in which for future exploration to the Moon, Mars, and past.”

An prolonged mission

The milestone comes after Rubio and his fellow crewmates had been left stranded on the ISS together with Prokopyev and Petelin after the Russian Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft docked to the station skilled a coolant leak on Dec. 14, 2022. Russian mission management seen the leak throughout preparations for a deliberate spacewalk by Prokopyev and Petelin. Based on a NASA blog post, the stroll was canceled following the invention to judge the affect on the docked spacecraft.

Roscosmos engineers discovered that the leak was brought on by an affect from a micrometeoroid. Additionally they decided that missing coolant, the Soyuz MS-22 was unsafe for a traditional crew return (although it may very well be used if there have been an emergency on the house station).

On February 23, 2023, the Soyuz MS-23 launched uncrewed as a “rescue” spacecraft to switch MS-22. However to maintain the ISS totally crewed, MS-23 was not scheduled to convey the crew again to Earth till the following Soyuz, MS-24 was ready. Because of this, Rubio’s six-month journey aboard the ISS was prolonged to a yr.

MS-24 launched Sept. 15, bringing a trio of contemporary astronauts — lastly relieving Rubio, Prokopyev, and Petelin, and clearing the way in which for them to depart for Earth aboard MS-23.

“Thursday marks a singular milestone for American human spaceflight, and so I wish to take a second and acknowledge and thank all of the individuals who have helped me to realize this objective,” Rubio stated in a NASA live-streamed news briefing. “So at first, my spouse and our 4 children, whose resilience and energy have carried me by this whole mission.”

Rubio’s prolonged mission and first time in house noticed him full 5,936 orbits, NASA stated, overlaying a distance of greater than 157 million miles (253 million kilometers), equal to about 328 journeys to the Moon and again. The company additionally famous that the weird size of Rubio’s keep allowed researchers to watch the results of long-duration flights — a key subject as NASA prepares for the Artemis missions to the Moon and potential missions to Mars.

When Rubio was requested about what he’s trying ahead to on Earth, he listed: silence and aid from the noisy hum of the ISS, enjoyable in his yard, and consuming a giant, inexperienced, contemporary salad.

What’s subsequent?

Because the trio ready to return to Earth, on Sept. 26, Prokopyev formally handed over his command of the house station to European Area Company (ESA) astronaut Andreas Mogensen. The departure of Rubio, Prokopyev, and Petelin marks the start of Expedition 70 aboard the ISS. The Expedition 70 crew are cosmonauts Nikolai Chub, Konstantin Borisov, and Oleg Kononenko; Japan Aerospace Exploration Company (JAXA) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa; and NASA astronaut Loral O’Hara; ESA astronaut and Expedition 70 Commander Andreas Mogensen, and NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli. Collectively, they are going to proceed analysis and upkeep on the ISS.