NASA Astronaut Frank Rubio Sets New U.S. Single-Flight Endurance Record of 371 Days in Space

NASA astronaut Frank Rubio has set a new U.S. single-flight endurance record, surpassing the previous record of 355 days off planet. On Monday, Rubio passed the mark set by Mark Vande Hei, spending 371 days in space aboard the International Space Station.

Rubio, along with cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin, were originally scheduled to return to Earth in March, but their Soyuz MS-22 ferry ship suffered a massive coolant leak in December, forcing them to stay in space for an additional six months.

Rubio’s stay in space is the first flight longer than a full year by an American astronaut. The world record of 437 days was set by Russian cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov in the mid-1990s.

The trio is now scheduled to return to Earth aboard a replacement Soyuz ferry ship on September 27.

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine congratulated Rubio on his record-breaking flight. “Frank’s dedication to exploration and discovery is an inspiration to us all,” he said. “We are proud of his accomplishments and look forward to his safe return to Earth.”