Three astronauts return to Earth after a year in space. Frank Rubio sets US space record
A NASA astronaut and two Russians are back on Earth after being stuck in space for just over a year
By MARCIA DUNN
Published - Sep 27, 2023, 07:25 AM ET
Last Updated - Sep 27, 2023, 07:26 AM EDT
A NASA astronaut and two Russian cosmonauts returned to Earth on Wednesday after being stuck in space for just over a year. American Frank Rubio set a record for the longest U.S. spaceflight — a result of the extended stay.
The trio landed in a remote area of Kazakhstan, descending in a Soyuz capsule that was rushed up as a replacement after their original ride was hit by space junk and lost all its coolant while docked to the International Space Station.
What should have been a 180-day mission turned into a 371-day stay. Rubio spent more than two weeks longer in space than Mark Vande Hei, who held NASA's previous endurance record for a single spaceflight.
Russia holds the world record of 437 days, set in the mid-1990s.