NASA astronaut Frank Rubio has spent more consecutive days in the Earth's orbit than any other NASA astronaut before him, at over 355 days.
NASA astronaut Frank Rubio has now spent more consecutive days in the Earth's orbit than any other NASA astronaut before him.aboard the International Space Station, a staggeringly long stay hundreds of miles above the Earth's surface.
"In some ways, it's been an incredible challenge," he said during a live stream on Wednesday. "But in other ways, it's been an incredible blessing."The previous record for the longest time spent in orbit by an American was set by NASA astronaut Mark Vande last year, who topped out at 355 days on board the ISS.back in 1994 on board the Soviet space station Mir.
Rubio's scheduled departure on September 27 means that he will spend a total of 371 days in space, asHe traveled to the space station last year on board a Russian Soyuz rocket alongside two other cosmonauts. Yet anof the docked capsule in December forced the three space travelers to fill in for the next crew and extend their stay significantly.
Unsurprisingly, spending almost an entire year on board a tiny space station has its toll, with Rubio describing the experience as "psychologically... a little bit of a challenge." "Once you're up here for a little bit, you really get focused on the work and sometimes you forget to appreciate the fact that you are floating around and that you have this amazing view down below you," Rubio said during the livestream.
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