After it was announced yesterday (Thursday, July 25) that the NASA astronauts stuck on the ISS will remain their for the foreseeable, could they beat a record set last year
As NASA astronauts Butch Willmore and Suni William’s planned eight day stay on the International Space Station (ISS) enters its eighth week, it’s not the first time that astronauts have seen there spell in space extended.
Speaking at a press conference yesterday (July 25) Steve Sitch NASA’s Commercial Crew Program manager gave an update on when we can expect to see the astronauts arrive back down to Earth, giving little away, he said: “We’ll come home when we’re ready.”
But, the pair currently stuck on the ISS aren’t the first to have overstayed their visit to the space station, with a NASA astronaut and two cosmonauts stuck on board for just over a year in 2023.
In fact, one of those on board, the American Frank Rubio actually set the US record for the longest stay in space having spent 371 days on the ISS.
After what should have been a mission that lasted six months turned into a year, with the trio landing back down to earth in September 2023 in a remote part of Kazakhstan.
An emergency capsule had to be sent up after the original was hit by ‘space junk’ during their visit, delaying them by six months.
Rubio spoke to Time Magazine earlier this year about his time in space, saying: “Space is pretty amazing. You’re getting to do something that less than 700 humans have ever been able to do, so every day that you’re up there is pretty special. But it is a national and international laboratory and so our primary focus is science. We conduct tons of experiments while we’re out there—I think there were over 300 experiments that our crew was a part of while I was up there—so that tends to be your primary focus day in and day out.”
