A NASA astronaut and two Russian cosmonauts returned to Earth on Wednesday after being caught in space for simply over a 12 months. American Frank Rubio set a report for the longest U.S. spaceflight—a results of the prolonged keep.
The trio landed in a distant space of Kazakhstan, descending in a Soyuz capsule that was rushed up as a substitute after their authentic journey was hit by space junk and misplaced all its coolant whereas docked to the Worldwide House Station.
What ought to have been a 180-day mission was a 371-day keep. Rubio spent greater than two weeks longer in space than Mark Vande Hei, who held NASA’s earlier endurance report for a single spaceflight.
Russia holds the world record of 437 days, set within the mid-Nineties.
The Soyuz capsule that introduced Rubio and cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin again was a substitute launched in February. Russian engineers suspect a chunk of space junk pierced the radiator of their authentic capsule late final 12 months, halfway via what ought to have been a six-month mission. Engineers apprehensive that with out cooling, the capsule’s electronics and any occupants may overheat to harmful ranges, so the craft returned empty.
There wasn’t one other Soyuz to launch a recent crew till this month. Their replacements lastly arrived practically two weeks in the past.
“Nobody deserves to go dwelling to their households greater than you,” the space station’s new commander, Denmark’s Andreas Mogensen, stated earlier this week.
Prokopyev instructed floor controllers all through the descent that every one three had been feeling good. They skilled greater than 4 instances the force of gravity as their capsule streaked via the environment and got here to a landing within the barren Kazakh steppes, ending up on its facet. Helicopters moved in with restoration crews to fetch the astronauts.
“It is good to be dwelling,” Rubio stated after being pulled from the capsule.
Rubio, 47, an Military physician and helicopter pilot, stated at a information convention final week that he by no means would have agreed to a full 12 months in space if requested on the outset. He ended up lacking necessary household milestones together with the oldest of his 4 youngsters ending her first 12 months on the U.S. Naval Academy and one other heading off to West Level.
Rubio had stated the psychological facet of spending so lengthy in space was more durable than he anticipated. He could maintain on to this report for some time. NASA has no plans as of now for extra yearlong missions.
It was the primary spaceflight for Rubio and Petelin, 40, an engineer. Prokopyev, 48, an engineer and pilot, has now pulled two lengthy station stints.
They logged 157 million miles (253 million kilometers) since launching from Kazakhstan final September and circled the world practically 6,000 instances.
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Three astronauts return to Earth after a 12 months in space. NASA’s Frank Rubio units US space report (2023, September 27)
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