Astronaut Frank Rubio has broken the record for the longest mission in orbit by an American, spending more than 355 days aboard the International Space Station.
“In some ways, it’s been an incredible challenge. But in other ways, it’s been an incredible blessing,” Rubio said Wednesday from the International Space Station during a conversation with NASA that was broadcast live.
After breaking the old record on Monday, Rubio said he is now looking to reach 365 days. “I think this would be a really good accomplishment for our nation to achieve,” said Rubio, a doctor by training and a helicopter pilot.
the previous The US record was set in 2022 by Mark VandyWho spent 355 days in space. The world record is held by Russian cosmonaut Valery Polyakov at 437 days old.
Rubio is scheduled to return to Earth on September 27; At that point he will have spent 371 days in space.
When Rubio traveled to the International Space Station last year aboard a Russian Soyuz rocket with two astronauts, the plan was for him to stay for six months, the usual duration of a mission.
Per normal procedure, the rocket remained attached to the ISS as an emergency escape vessel if necessary, and was supposed to bring these three travelers home in December. But it suffered a leak, possibly caused by a small meteorite impact.
So the Russian space agency Roscosmos brought this rocket home and sent another rocket without a crew on board.
Rubio and his two colleagues carried out the crew mission, which was initially scheduled to travel to the International Space Station on board the second rocket and replace them.
Rubio, who is Latino, has watched crews come and go while in space — a total of 28 people of different nationalities.
“If you do the math right, roughly five percent of humanity has ever been in space, which is unbelievable,” Rubio said Wednesday.
He described living and conducting experiments in low Earth orbit.
“Once you’re here for a little while, you’re really focused on the work, and sometimes you forget to appreciate the fact that you’re floating and you have this amazing view below you,” Rubio said.
He said the rooms were rather cramped, likening them to a five-bedroom house.
“So, psychologically for a year, that was a little bit challenging,” Rubio said.
The American record for most days in space in a lifetime is held by former astronaut Peggy Whitson, with 675 days over several missions.
© Agence France-Presse
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