NASA astronaut Frank Rubio returns to Earth, sets record for longest US spaceflight

A NASA astronaut and two Russian cosmonauts landed Wednesday in rural Kazakhstan after more than a year in space, a trip extended by a mechanical failure of their previous return craft.

Frank Rubio set a record for the longest time in space for an American at 371 days. The previous record was set at 355 days by Mark Vande Hei, according to NASA.

Rubio’s original mission, however, was scheduled to only be around 180 days. The return was delayed when the spacecraft was damaged by debris, causing a longer-than-expected stay on the International Space Station as a replacement was rushed to orbit.

The replacement return craft was launched to the space station in February, but an additional Soyuz capsule wasn’t ready to bring a new crew until earlier this month.

“No one deserves to go home to their families more than you,” the space station’s new commander, Denmark’s Andreas Mogensen, said earlier this week.

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson lauded Rubio for his sacrifice and contribution to the understanding of space missions.

“Our astronauts make extraordinary sacrifices away from their homes and loved ones to further discovery,” Nelson said. “NASA is immensely grateful for Frank’s dedicated service to our nation and the invaluable scientific contributions he made on the International Space Station.”

“He embodies the true pioneer spirit that will pave the way for future exploration to the Moon, Mars, and beyond,” he added.

Rubio, who also serves as an Army lieutenant colonel and helicopter pilot, said that being in space so long was an unexpected mental challenge and something he wouldn’t have agreed to if he had a choice, according to The Associated Press.

He ended up missing important family milestones, including the oldest of his four children finishing her first year at the U.S. Naval Academy and another heading off to West Point.

“It’s good to be home,” he said after being removed from the capsule.

It was his first space station mission, and it will likely remain the U.S. spaceflight record, as NASA currently has no plans for any yearlong missions in the future.

During the mission, Rubio and cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin completed approximately 5,936 orbits and a journey of more than 157 million miles — about the equivalent of 328 trips to the moon and back, according to NASA.