The story so far: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) astronaut Mark Vande Hei returned to the earth on March 30 after spending 355 days aboard the International Space Station (ISS), setting a record for the longest single spaceflight in history by an American.
Mr. Vande Hei was onboard the ISS alongside Russian cosmonauts at a time when the relations between the U.S. and Russia are particularly strained due to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s military operation in Ukraine. Speaking to the press about his relationship with his Russian counterparts on the ISS amid the crisis, Mr. Vande Hei said that the atmosphere on the station remained positive despite the growing tensions between the U.S. and Russia. “About my relationship with my Russian crewmates, they were, are and will continue to be very dear friends of mine,” he said during a press conference. “We supported each other throughout everything. And I never had any concerns about my ability to continue working with them,” Mr. Vande Hei added.
