US astronaut Rubio happily returns home after landing in Kazakhstan.

ALMATY—U.S. astronaut Frank Rubio, who ​shattered the American record for the longest continuous space⁣ flight,‍ along with two⁣ Russian cosmonauts, ⁤touched down in the steppe‍ of Kazakhstan on Wednesday after spending over a year on the International Space Station (ISS).

Their Soyuz MS-23 capsule gracefully undocked from the ISS a minute ahead of schedule, embarking on a thrilling three and a half hour descent back to Earth, ⁤ultimately landing southeast of the city of Zhezqazghan.

“It’s fantastic to be back,” exclaimed Mr. Rubio, 47, with a beaming smile, as he joined Russian cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev, 48, and Dmitry ⁢Petelin, 40, on solid ground.

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When asked ⁢about his crew mates, Mr. ⁣Rubio enthusiastically replied, “They were fantastic, everyone performed exceptionally well.”

As a token of appreciation, Mr. Rubio received a Russian matryoshka doll,‌ while Mr. Prokopyev was ‌captured on camera, grinning beside ⁣the capsule, clutching a watermelon he had requested upon landing. When questioned about his⁢ souvenirs from space, he simply replied, “A good mood.”

Russian mission‌ control at Star City, located ‌outside Moscow, ⁣confirmed that the crew members were in good ⁢health after spending slightly over a year aboard the ISS. They​ touched down precisely at 1117 GMT.

Mr. Rubio, ⁣embarking on his inaugural space voyage, emerged from the capsule,⁣ which was dimly lit due to the intense reentry temperatures. He flashed a thumbs up and waved as Russian and U.S. space officials monitored his‌ blood​ pressure and heart rate, ensuring his well-being as they covered him with a warm⁢ blanket.

The trio ​faced a six-month delay in their return due to a leak in their original spacecraft, necessitating the dispatch of a replacement. Consequently, ⁤their mission ​was unexpectedly extended to a remarkable 371 days in orbit.

Record Rubio

On September 11, Mr. Rubio surpassed the previous NASA record of 355 consecutive ⁣days in space, set by the now-retired U.S. ​astronaut Mark Vande Hei. Additionally, Mr.⁢ Rubio became the first ⁤American to ⁢spend an​ entire year in space.

Although Mr. ​Rubio broke the American ⁤record, he and his Russian‍ colleagues still have a long way to go to reach ⁤the world record held by Russia’s Valeri Polyakov, who spent an astonishing 437 consecutive days and 18 hours during a Mir space station mission from January 1994​ to March 1995. ​Sadly, Polyakov passed away last September⁤ at the age of 80.

Roscosmos revealed⁢ that Prokopyev has accumulated a total of over 567 days in space, including his previous missions.

Mr. Rubio, born to Salvadoran parents in Los Angeles but raised in ‍Miami, is ‌a board-certified ‌family physician and flight surgeon. He is⁤ also ​a ⁤former U.S. Army special forces officer and a decorated Blackhawk helicopter pilot, having flown combat missions in Bosnia, Afghanistan, and Iraq.

During a press conference from orbit, eight days prior to his return to Earth, ​Mr. Rubio admitted that he might have declined his first spaceflight ​had he known in⁣ advance‌ that it would last at least ⁤a year. ⁣He cited family responsibilities as a primary concern. However, he ultimately felt honored and embraced the mission extension.

Mr. Rubio anticipates that it will ‍take several months to fully readjust his balance and regain his strength after an extended ‍period in microgravity. He eagerly looks forward to the tranquility of his backyard, in stark contrast to the constant hum and ⁤buzz of machinery aboard the ⁣ISS.

How will‌ the knowledge gained from ​this mission contribute to ⁣future advancements in space travel

Space Station. (Photo: Roscosmos/TASS)