US astronaut Frank Rubio and two Russian cosmonauts, Sergey Prokopyevve and Dmitry Petelin, who served on the International Space Station (ISS), landed in Kazakhstan after 371 days in space. Under normal circumstances, the crew should have returned six months ago, but due to a leak in the spacecraft, they had to wait another six months. Rubio, who went to space on 21 September 2022, also became the first US astronaut to stay in space for more than 1 year.

"THEY MADE EXTRAORDINARY SACRIFICES"

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in a statement after Rubio's landing, "Our astronauts make extraordinary sacrifices away from home and loved ones to advance discoveries. NASA is extremely grateful for Frank's dedicated service to our nation and his invaluable scientific contributions aboard the International Space Station. He represents the true pioneering spirit that will pave the way for future exploration of the Moon, Mars and beyond."

Rubio surpassed the previous NASA record set by US astronaut Mark Vande Hei, who spent 355 days in space. The world record for time spent in space belongs to Russian cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov. Polyakov spent 437 days in space between January 1994 and March 1995.