Frank Rubio will break the record, becoming the longest-staying American astronaut in space after returning to Earth aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft in six months.
Initially, astronaut Frank Rubio Fly to the International Space Station (ISS) on September 21, 2022 for a 6-month mission. But he will stay in space for more than a year, breaking the record for the longest mission led by an American astronaut. Rubio will return to Earth aboard the Russian Soyuz spacecraft as early as September 27, according to NASA’s March 29 announcement, meaning he will spend a total of at least 371 days in orbit, surpassing the 355-day mark set by American astronaut Mark Vande. Hello in 2022.
NASA astronaut Frank Rubio
NASA astronaut Frank Rubio took a photo near the domed window of the ISS station as the station flew over southeast England at an altitude of 423 km. (Photo: NASA).
Initially, Rubio’s return flight was scheduled for the spring of this year. But the spacecraft carrying Rubio and his two Russian colleagues Sergey Prokopiev and Dmitry Petelin leaked coolant last December. Authorities at the Russian space agency Roscosmos later concluded that the spacecraft was not safe enough to bring the astronauts home. Instead, the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft returned to Earth without carrying a crew on March 28. Roscosmos launched the MS-23 replacement spacecraft to dock with the ISS on February 23.
If all goes as planned and Rubio leaves on September 27, his 371 days in space will not be a world record. The late Russian astronaut Valeri Polyakov still holds the record with 437 consecutive days spent in orbit on the Russian Mir space station between 1994 and 1995.
Vande Hei held the record for longest stay in space for an American astronaut last year, after NASA and Roscosmos decided to extend his mission. Russia sent a two-person film crew to the ISS station, delaying Vande Hei’s return flight. Before Vande Hei, American astronaut Scott Kelly set a record with a mission lasting 340 days. This is an extended mission designed by NASA to study the long-term effects of spaceflight on the human body.
Rubio traveled to the ISS aboard a Russian spacecraft as part of NASA’s crew exchange agreement with Roscosmos in the summer of 2022. NASA officials tasked Rubio with flying on the Soyuz MS-22 while Roscosmos organized the crew. Anna Kikina flew on SpaceX’s Crew Dragon in October 2022 and returned to Earth on March 11, 2023.
NASA shares that the agreement with Russia is very important to ensure the safe and continued operation of the ISS station. If Russia’s Soyuz or SpaceX’s Crew Dragon encounter problems and cannot operate, the swap deal will ensure that U.S. and Russian astronauts can still access the ISS.
Article source: VnExpress
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Frank Rubio will break the record by becoming the longest-living American astronaut in space after returning to Earth aboard a Russian Soyuz in six months.