NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei is seen exterior the Soyuz MS-19 spacecraft after he landed with Russian cosmonauts Anton Shkaplerov and Pyotr Dubrov in a distant space close to the city of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan on Wednesday, March 30, 2022. Vande Hei and Dubrov are returning to Earth after logging 355 days in area as members of Expeditions 64-66 aboard the Worldwide House Station. For Vande Hei, his mission is the longest single spaceflight by a U.S. astronaut in historical past. Shkaplerov is returning after 176 days in area, serving as a Flight Engineer for Expedition 65 and commander of Expedition 66. Credit score: NASA/Invoice Ingalls
After extending the document for the longest single spaceflight in historical past by an American to 355 days, NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei returned to Earth on Wednesday, March 30, 2022, together with Roscosmos cosmonauts Anton Shkaplerov and Pyotr Dubrov.
The trio departed the Worldwide House Station at 3:21 a.m. EDT and made a protected, parachute-assisted touchdown at 7:28 a.m. (5:28 p.m. Kazakhstan time) southeast of the distant city of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan.
“Mark’s mission just isn't solely record-breaking, but in addition paving the best way for future human explorers on the Moon, Mars, and past,” mentioned NASA Administrator Invoice Nelson. “Our astronauts make unimaginable sacrifices within the identify of science, exploration, and cutting-edge expertise improvement, not least amongst them time away from family members. NASA and the nation are proud to welcome Mark house and grateful for his unimaginable contributions all through his year-long keep on the Worldwide House Station.”
The Soyuz MS-19 crew ship carrying NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei and two cosmonauts is pictured moments earlier than touchdown underneath the clear, blue skies of Kazakhstan. Credit score: NASA
Vande Hei’s prolonged mission will present researchers the chance to look at the results of long-duration spaceflight on people because the company plans to return to the Moon underneath the Artemis program and put together for the exploration of Mars.
Vande Hei launched on April 9, 2021, alongside Russian cosmonauts Oleg Novitskiy and Pyotr Dubrov. His second journey into area of 355 days is the longest single spaceflight by a U.S. astronaut, beforehand held at 340 days, and offers him a lifetime complete of 523 days in area. Dubrov additionally remained on board for 355 days on his first spaceflight.
Supporting NASA’s objectives for future human landings on the Moon, Vande Hei accomplished roughly 5,680 orbits of the Earth and a journey of greater than 150 million miles, roughly the equal of 312 journeys to the Moon and again. He witnessed the arrival of 15 visiting spacecraft and new modules, and the departure of 14 visiting spacecraft.
Following post-landing medical checks, the crew will return to the restoration staging metropolis in Karaganda, Kazakhstan, aboard Russian helicopters. Vande Hei will board a NASA aircraft certain for Cologne, Germany, for refueling previous to his return house. Shkaplerov and Dubrov will board a Gagarin Cosmonaut Coaching Middle plane to return to their house in Star Metropolis, Russia.
Throughout his document mission, Vande Hei spent many hours on scientific actions aboard the area station, conducting every little thing from plant analysis to bodily sciences research.
With the undocking of the Soyuz MS-19 spacecraft with Vande Hei, Shkaplerov, and Dubrov aboard, Expedition 67 formally started aboard the station. NASA astronaut Tom Marshburn not too long ago took over as station commander, and is joined by NASA astronauts Raja Chari and Kayla Barron, ESA (European House Company) astronaut Matthias Maurer, and Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Artemyev, Denis Matveev, and Sergey Korsakov.
Marshburn, Chari, Barron and Maurer will stay onboard till late April, when NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines, and Jessica Watkins, in addition to ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti launch to the station as a part of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 mission.
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