Title: NASA Astronaut and Russian Cosmonauts Return to Earth After Extended Stay in Space
Date: Thu 28 Sep 2023 01.14 CEST
The journey home for a NASA astronaut and two Russian cosmonauts was delayed as their original return capsule was hit by space junk, prompting them to remain on the International Space Station (ISS) for over a year. American astronaut Frank Rubio set a new record for the longest US spaceflight, surpassing the previous endurance record held by NASA’s Mark Vande Hei.
On Wednesday, the trio safely landed in a remote area of Kazakhstan, touching down in a Soyuz capsule that was rapidly sent as a replacement after their initial ride suffered damage from space debris, causing a loss of coolant. The intended 180-day mission turned into a remarkable 371-day stay in space for Rubio, who spent more time in space than any other American astronaut on a single spaceflight.
While the Russian record for the longest spaceflight stands at 437 days, Rubio’s extended stay has contributed to newfound knowledge and experience in space exploration. The Soyuz MS-23 capsule, carrying Russian cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin, along with Nasa astronaut Frank Rubio, successfully made its descent, providing a sigh of relief for the crew and the ground controllers involved in their safe return.
Suspicion arose when Russian engineers discovered that their original capsule’s radiator was pierced by a piece of space junk in late 2022, midway through their planned six-month mission. Without sufficient cooling, there were concerns that the capsule’s electronics and occupants could overheat to dangerous levels. Consequently, the original capsule was sent back to Earth empty. It took nearly two weeks for their replacements to arrive this month.
The new commander of the ISS, Denmark’s Andreas Mogensen, expressed his gratitude for the safe return of the crew members, acknowledging the sacrifices they made to contribute to space exploration. Throughout the descent, Prokopyev assured ground controllers that all three astronauts were in good health. They experienced intense gravitational forces as their capsule re-entered the Earth’s atmosphere, ultimately landing on its side in the Kazakh steppes.
Rubio expressed his relief at being back on Earth, mentioning that he had missed significant family milestones during his extended stay. The mental challenges of spending such a prolonged period in space proved to be more difficult than he had anticipated. While Rubio may hold the record for the longest US spaceflight for now, NASA currently has no plans for more year-long missions.
This was the first spaceflight for Rubio and Petelin, while Prokopyev had previously completed another long-duration stay on the ISS. Together, they traveled an astounding 157 million miles (253 million kilometers) since their launch from Kazakhstan in September of last year, completing nearly 6,000 orbits around the Earth.
The successful return of the crew marks another milestone in space exploration and highlights the importance of developing strategies to combat space debris in order to ensure the safety of future missions.