ISS inhabitant Frank Rubio has set a record for the longest time in orbit by a NASA astronaut, but that wasn't the plan when he arrived there nearly a year ago.
When NASA astronaut Frank Rubio launched to space in September last year, he became the first Salvadoran-American to head to orbit. And now, 355 days later, Rubio has just set another record for the longest stay in space by a NASA astronaut.
Recommended Videos Rubio set the record at 1:39 p.m. ET on Monday, September 11, beating the 355 days, 3 hours and 45 minutes logged by NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei last year. Related Rubio, who is on his very first space mission, is scheduled to return to Earth in a couple of weeks’ time, extending his time in space to 371 days. NASA posted a message on X, formerly Twitter, announcing his spaceflight record. Astronaut Frank Rubio has just set a new U.S. spaceflight record, eclipsing the previous record of 355 consecutive days aboard the @Space_Station. This is now the single longest mission for any of our @NASA_Astronauts.— NASA September 11, 2023 When Rubio blasted off aboard a Soyuz spacecraft in September last year to begin his mission, a record-breaking stay in orbit was not on the cards. Like most long-duration missions by professional astronauts, he was scheduled to stay aboard the ISS for six months, along with his two traveling companions, Russian cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin. But an unexpected leak aboard his Soyuz capsule in December changed the course of his mission. Russian space officials deemed the capsule unsafe to bring the trio home and so decided to send up a replacement Soyuz spacecraft at the end of February. The changeover prompted officials overseeing the mission to reschedule it, extending it by another six months. In a message posted on X on Monday, NASA chief Bill Nelson said: “Frank Rubio’s journey in space embodies the essence of exploration. As he breaks records as the longest serving NASA U.S. astronaut in space, he also paves the way for future generations of astronauts.”While Rubio has now bagged the record for the longest continuous space mission by a NASA astronaut, the record stay by any spacefarer remains with Russian cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov, who lived aboard the Mir space station for 437 days and 18 hours in the mid-1990s.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
This Week @NASA: SpaceX Crew-6 Splashdown, Psyche Spacecraft Hitchhiker, Ancient Life on EarthNASA’s SpaceX Crew-6 mission safely returns to Earth … The tech demo hitching a ride on NASA’s Psyche spacecraft … And studying ancient life on Earth to better understand Mars … A few of the stories to tell you about – This Week at NASA! https://youtu.be/W3XPrUN7RYk NASA’s SpaceX Crew
Read more »
Astronaut Frank Rubio breaks US record on way to spending a year in spaceRubio will build upon today's record by becoming the first American to spend a full year in space.
Read more »
NASA astronaut to spend over a year in space, setting new USA recordNASA astronaut Frank Rubio is about to set a new record for the longest space mission in U.S. history.
Read more »
ESA astronaut aboard ISS to document lightning from spaceAstronaut Andreas Mogensen will carry out a series of experiments using a high-tech camera system to film thunderstorms and lightning from space.
Read more »
NASA's rubio breaks longest U.S. space mission recordThe astronaut was stranded on board the ISS after a Russian Soyuz spacecraft suffered a coolant leak, setting the stage for a prolonged mission.
Read more »
NASA astronaut Frank Rubio due to break the single spaceflight recordWhen Rubio finally touches down Sept. 27 in a replacement capsule, he will have spent 371 days in space.
Read more »