NASA astronaut returns to Earth after 371 days in space, a US record for longest continuous spaceflight

American Frank Rubio returned to Earth Wednesday, and now holds the record for the longest U.S. spaceflight at 371 days.

The mission that was supposed to be 180 days long turned into 371 days, which meant Rubio spent more than two weeks longer in space than Mark Vande Hei, who held NASA's previous endurance record for a single spaceflight. Astronaut Frank Rubio peers out of a window aboard the SpaceX Dragon Freedom spacecraft docked to the International Space Station. (NASA via AP) From left, Frank Rubio, Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin walk to their rocket prior the launch at the Russian leased Baikonur cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, Sept. 21, 2022.  (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky, Pool, File) Rescue team members carry Frank Rubio shortly after the landing of the Russian Soyuz MS-23 space capsule, Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2023. (Roscosmos space corporation via AP)

Just last week, Rubio said he would have declined his space mission had he known he would be in orbit so long.