Two Russian cosmonauts and an American astronaut landed back on Earth Wednesday after spending a year at the International Space Station (ISS), Russia's Roscosmos space agency said.
"Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergei Prokopyev and Dmitry Petelin and NASA astronaut Francisco Rubio, who spent a year on board the ISS, landed near the city of Jezkazgan in Kazakhstan," Roscosmos said.
It said the Soyuz MS-23 spacecraft carrying them reached Earth at 11:17 GMT in a landing that took place in "normal mode."
Roscosmos said Prokopyev and Petelin spent "370 days, 21 hours and 22 minutes in space — the longest flight under the iSS program."
NASA also confirmed the landing.
"Frank Rubio is back on Earth after 371 days," it said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
"The single longest spaceflight for any of our NASA astronauts comes to a close."
The three men had traveled on a Russian Soyuz to the ISS last year, in a mission that was meant to last only six months.
But the Soyuz suffered a leak probably due to impact from a tiny meteorite, so Moscow sent another rocket with no crew onboard.
The Russians and American then carried out the mission of the crew that was due to replace them.
The trio spent a year on the ISS — a rare venue for cooperation between the U.S. and Russia — as tensions between Washington and Moscow intensified over the conflict in Ukraine.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.