Astronaut Mark Vande Hei Will Spend 355 Days on the International Space Station (ISS) Before Returning to Earth on March 30.
Astronaut Mark Vande Hei on the ISS.
When NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei launched into space 11 months ago, he had no idea how long he would be in space, let alone that he would stay on the ISS long enough to set a record. As of 12:24 AM on March 16, Hanoi time, Vande Hei will become the American astronaut who has spent the longest time in space in history. With a mission lasting 340 days, 8 hours, and 42 minutes, Vande Hei will surpass the previous record held by NASA astronaut Scott Kelly, which was set on March 2, 2016. From March 16 until his return to Earth on March 30, Vande Hei’s record will continue to increase. His time on the ISS will total nearly a year (355 days).
“I didn’t know for sure that the flight would be this long when I launched,” Vande Hei shared. “I see this as an opportunity to meet the demands, and I’m very happy to be able to complete it.”
Vande Hei arrived at the space station aboard a Soyuz spacecraft on April 9, 2021. At that time, he knew he would be staying at the station for at least 5 to 6 months. Last September, NASA extended Vande Hei’s mission to accommodate a Russian film crew for filming and to ensure that there was always an American astronaut aboard the station despite the rotation schedule.
Vande Hei’s extended stay in space also provides NASA with the opportunity to study how astronauts adapt to life in a microgravity environment over an extended period. Kelly’s record of 340 days was also established for this reason. NASA is exploring how astronauts can participate in deep space missions, return to the Moon, and travel to Mars.
Vande Hei is not the only crew member to reach the 340-day mark in space. Russian cosmonaut Pyotr Dubrov from the Russian space agency Roscosmos also spent a similar duration on the station. Unlike their American counterparts, Russian cosmonauts have even participated in longer-duration space missions. Three cosmonauts—Musa Manarov, Vladimir Titov, and Valery Polyakov—have all surpassed Vande Hei’s record. Polyakov completed the longest space mission in history nearly 30 years ago, living on the Mir space station from January 1994 to March 1995, for a total of 437 days, 17 hours, and 58 minutes.
Vande Hei shared that the most challenging aspect of living in space is being confined within the space station and being away from family. He also mentioned that he could stay longer if the mission required it.
