In a historic moment for American spaceflight, NASA astronaut Frank Rubio safely returned to Earth on Wednesday after spending a record-breaking 371 days in space. Accompanied by Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin, Rubio made a parachute-assisted landing southeast of the remote town of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan at 7:17 a.m. Eastern time.

Following their landing, the crew underwent post-landing medical exams before heading back to Karaganda, Kazakhstan. From there, Rubio will board a NASA plane bound for Houston, where he resides with his family. Reflecting on his return, Rubio expressed his eagerness to reunite with his loved ones, stating, "For me, honestly, obviously, hugging my wife and kids is going to be paramount, and I'll probably focus on that for the first couple of days."

Rubio's journey began in September when he embarked on the Russian Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Originally planned for a six-month stay, his return was unexpectedly delayed in December due to a coolant leak discovered in the Soyuz spacecraft. This prompted mission control to send a different spacecraft to the space station to ensure the crew's safety during their return to Earth.

The extended duration of Rubio's stay shattered the previous U.S. astronaut record of 355 days, held by Mark Vande Hei. This achievement not only marked a personal milestone for Rubio but also contributed significantly to our understanding of long-duration space missions, according to NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. "It's a major contribution to our understanding of long-duration space missions," Nelson emphasized in a statement, acknowledging the sacrifices astronauts make to advance scientific discovery.

During his prolonged stay, Rubio's presence on the International Space Station proved invaluable for scientific research. The mission offered researchers a unique opportunity to observe the effects of long-term spaceflight on the human body, crucial information as NASA plans for future missions to the Moon with the Artemis program and the eventual exploration of Mars. Rubio's contributions included conducting research on various subjects, such as the adaptation of bacteria to spaceflight and the impact of exercise on astronauts during extended missions.

Throughout his mission, Rubio completed an astonishing 5,936 orbits around the Earth while journeying more than 157 million miles. To put this distance into perspective, it is equivalent to approximately 328 round trips to the Moon and back.

Rubio's safe return marks the conclusion of an extraordinary chapter in American space exploration. As NASA continues to push the boundaries of human knowledge and space exploration, his record-breaking mission will undoubtedly serve as a stepping stone for future astronauts embarking on long-duration spaceflights.