NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei breaks record for single longest U.S. spaceflight

NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei broke the record Tuesday for the single longest spaceflight by an American explorer at 341 days.

Vande Hei, 55, has been on the International Space Station since Apr. 9, 2021. The record was previously held by retired astronaut Scott Kelly.

"Congratulations@Astro_Sabot! Broken records indicate progress," Kelly tweeted. "Looking forward to seeing you safely home soon. Ad Astra!"

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NASA Administrator Bill Nelson also congratulated Vande Hei.

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"Mark’s stay will help us understand the effects of longer duration missions in space," he wrote on Twitter. "Mark, thanks for your service & congrats!"

Vande Hei is expected to return home on March 30, after spending 355 days in low-Earth orbit, NASA said in a news release. He is scheduled to hitch a ride on a Russian spaceship amid ongoing tensions stemming from the war in Ukraine.