NASA astronaut Mark Wande back to Earth after a record space flight

NASA astronaut Mark Wande returned to Earth on Wednesday after spending a record 355 days in low-Earth orbit. Vande Hei shared a spacecraft with two Russian astronauts as tensions between Russia and the United States persisted during the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Wande returned to the Soyuz spacecraft with Russian astronauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anton Skaplerov and landed by parachute at 7:28 a.m. in Dzezhakazgan, Kazakhstan. The trio departed from the International Space Station at 3:21 a.m.

Wanda broke the record for the longest space flight by a NASA astronaut in 15 days. The record was previously held by retired astronaut Scott Kelly.

On this space flight, Wanda Hee completed 5,680 orbits of the Earth and traveled more than 150 million miles, the equivalent of 312 trips to the Moon and back, NASA said.

This trip gave Vande a total of 523 days in space.

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in a statement that “Mark’s mission is not only record-breaking, but also paving the way for future human exploration of the moon, Mars and beyond.” “Our astronauts make incredible sacrifices in the name of science, discovery and the development of cutting-edge technology, not least of their loved ones.”

Nelson added: “NASA and the nation are proud to welcome Mark home and are grateful for his invaluable contribution during his year-long stay on the International Space Station.”

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in a statement that “Mark’s mission is not only record-breaking, but also paving the way for future human exploration of the moon, Mars and beyond.” “Our astronauts make incredible sacrifices in the name of science, discovery and the development of cutting-edge technology, not least of their loved ones.”

Nelson added: “NASA and the nation are proud to welcome Mark home and are grateful for his invaluable contribution during his year-long stay on the International Space Station.”

As NASA plans to return to the moon and prepare to explore Mars under the Artemis program, the agency says Vande Hei’s extended mission will allow researchers to see the effects of long-term space flight on humans.

After a medical examination of the crew landing, they will be flown by Russian helicopter to the Recovery Staging City in Karaganda, Kazakhstan. Wanda will board a NASA plane in Cologne, Germany, to refuel before returning home.

Skaplerov and Dubrov will be flown home from the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia.