Space Veteran Ends 355-Day Space Living Streak

Mark Vande Hei ended his 355-day streak for the longest single spaceflight in history by an American, heading to Earth on March 30. 

He began making his way back home alongside a pair of Roscosmos cosmonauts Anton Shkaplerov and Pyotr Dubrov, proving that cooperation between the Russian space program and NASA can continue where it counts. The trio departed the ISS and made a safe, parachute-assisted landing in Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan. Vande Hei will be an interesting case study in long-duration spaceflight on humans, coming in at a fine time as the agency picks up momentum for the Artemis program. He began his continuous spaceflight on April 9, 2021 alongside his Russian compatriot Dubrov. His record was shared by Dubrov, who also set his own record of 355 days above. Vande Hei's journey back home will see him take a string of helicopters, jets, and flights back where he will participate in studies to assess ways to minimize long-term space living on the body. Over his career, he has completed 5,680 orbits, welcoming the arrival of 15 spacecraft and module installations, and seeing off 14 departing spacecraft. 

With the departing astronauts aboard the Soyuz MS-19 freeing up space on the station, the Station's Expedition 67 officially began, with astronaut Tom Marshburn assuming command over the station, joined by NASA personnel Raja Chari and Kayla Barron, as well as ESA's Matthias Maurer.

Roscosmos personnel Oleg Artemyev, Denis Matveev, and Sergey Korsakov round out the ISS crew until NASA's Crew-4 mission arrives with 4 new fresh faces. 

"Mark's mission is not only record-breaking, but also paving the way for future human explorers on the Moon, Mars, and beyond," said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson.

"Our astronauts make incredible sacrifices in the name of science, exploration, and cutting-edge technology development, not least among them time away from loved ones. NASA and the nation are proud to welcome Mark home and grateful for his incredible contributions throughout his year-long stay on the International Space Station."

FMI: www.nasa.gov