October 16, 2023
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) astronaut Frank Rubio set the record for the longest single spaceflight by an American astronaut by spending 371 days in space. Rubio arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) with Russian astronauts Dmitry Petelin and Sergey Prokopyev on September 21, 2022. During the mission, Rubio and his colleagues conducted numerous experiments and investigations. The mission was supposed to last for six months but the spacecraft in which Rubio and his fellow crewmembers travelled to the space station developed a coolant leak. The astronauts’ stay was thus extended for another six months. The three astronauts returned to Earth on September 27. Rubio broke the record previously set by US astronaut Mark Vande Hei who spent 355 days in space.
Image Source: nasa.gov
