World
Three astronauts return home after one-year ordeal in space
The astronauts were stuck in space for more than a year due to the collision of the capsule with space debris.
Washington: Three astronauts, including an American from NASA, have finally returned to Earth after being stranded in space for over a year due to a space debris collision that damaged their original return capsule.
The dramatic return took place on Wednesday, September 27, with the American astronaut, Frank Rubio, setting a new record for the longest American space flight.
The trio, consisting of two Russian astronauts and an American, touched down in a remote region of Kazakhstan inside the Vives capsule, which had been sent as a replacement for their original vehicle.
The unfortunate collision with space debris occurred while their original capsule was docked at the International Space Station (ISS), resulting in the loss of all its coolant.
What was originally intended as a 180-day mission turned into a remarkable 371-day stay in space for Rubio.
He spent an additional two weeks in space compared to the previous NASA record-holder for a single space flight, Mark Vandehe.
Russia currently holds the world record for the longest space mission, lasting 437 days, which was set during the mid-1990s.
The Soyuz MS 23 capsule, carrying the ISS crew including Russian cosmonauts Sergei Prokopyev and Dmitry Petlin, along with NASA astronaut Frank Rubio, safely landed in Kazakhstan.
The Soyuz capsule was launched in February for this mission, as engineers suspected that a piece of space debris had infiltrated the radiator of their original capsule late last year.
To prevent overheating of the capsule's electronics and ensure the safety of anyone on board, the damaged capsule was sent back to Earth empty.
Upon their arrival, Sergei Prokopyev reassured ground controllers that all three astronauts were in good health.
Their descent back to Earth subjected them to more than four times the force of gravity as their capsule re-entered the atmosphere and touched down in the arid steppes of Kazakhstan, where a helicopter awaited their recovery.
Frank Rubio expressed his relief, stating, "It's good to be home," after being safely ejected from the capsule.