Welcome home, Frank! Astronaut tastes gravity for the first time in 371 days

Frank Rubio's space adventure began in September the previous year when he boarded the Russian Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Initially planned for a six-month duration, his return was unexpectedly postponed in December due to the discovery of a coolant leak in the Soyuz spacecraft. This issue had the potential to create dangerously high temperatures during reentry, necessitating the deployment of an alternative spacecraft to transport the crew back to Earth.

Frank Rubio's prolonged mission in space surpassed the previous record held by U.S. astronaut Mark Vande Hei, who spent 355 days in space. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson emphasised the significance of Rubio's mission, underscoring its invaluable contribution to our comprehension of long-duration space travel.

Throughout his extended stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS), Rubio made substantial scientific contributions. His mission provided researchers with a unique opportunity to investigate the effects of prolonged spaceflight on human physiology, a critical aspect as NASA prepares for missions to the moon through the Artemis program and advances its plans for future Mars exploration.

Rubio's mission encompassed a diverse array of scientific inquiries, encompassing studies on plant growth, examinations of bacteria adaptation to the conditions of spaceflight, and investigations into how physical exercise influences individuals during extended missions. Over the course of his mission, Rubio completed nearly 5,936 orbits around our planet, covering a distance equivalent to roughly 328 round trips to the moon and back.