WASHINGTON: A US astronaut Frank Rubio has set a new record by an American for spending 355 days at the International Space Station (ISS) during an orbit mission, Western media reported on Thursday.
Rubio during a chat with NASA from ISS said it has been an unbelievable challenge but at the same time it is an incredible blessing.
After breaking the old record, the astronaut said he was now looking forward to reaching 365 days.
Astronaut Mark Vande Hei “passes the torch” to astronaut Frank Rubio, who just beat his record for single longest US spaceflight.
Rubio’s extended stay aboard the @Space_Station helps us see how the human body reacts to microgravity, and informs future missions to deep space. pic.twitter.com/crhO3lDgXR
— NASA (@NASA) September 12, 2023
“I think that’ll be a really good milestone for our nation to achieve,” said Rubio, who is a helicopter pilot and a trained doctor.
Earlier Mark Vande had set a record in 2022 by spending 355 days in space. The international record is held by Russian Astronaut Valeri Polyakov who spent 437 days in space.
Rubio is expected to return to Earth on September 27 after spending 371 days in space.
When Rubio began his mission last year on a Russian Soyuz rocket the initial plan was for him to stay for six months at the ISS, a normal mission length.
