--- title: "NASA Astronaut Breaks Agency’s Record for Longest Stay in Space" description: "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." date: "2023-09-16" modified: "2023-09-16" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/nasa-astronaut-breaks-agency-record-longest-stay-space" categories: - "NASA" - "Space" tags: - "astronauts" - "international space station" - "NASA" - "the digest" --- # NASA Astronaut Breaks Agency’s Record for Longest Stay in Space ![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.]() *\Image: NASA\* ## Record Breaker NASA astronaut Frank Rubio has now spent more consecutive days in the Earth's orbit than any other NASA astronaut before him. The 47-year-old US Army veteran has [spent the last 355 days and counting]() 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." ## Year in Space 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. The world record, however, is held by Russian cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov, who [spent 437 days]() 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, as [*Agence France-Presse* points out](), without topping Polyakov's accomplishment. He traveled to the space station last year on board a Russian Soyuz rocket alongside two other cosmonauts. Yet an [unexpected leak]() of 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. **More on astronauts:** *[Scientists Alarmed by What Space Station Astronauts Appear to Be Breathing]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()