Mark Vande Hei, alongside Petr Dubrov and Anton Shkaplerov, returned to Earth on March 30 aboard the Soyuz spacecraft. A NASA astronaut spent 355 days aboard the International Space Station with Dubrov, setting the record for the longest single mission by an American in space.
The mission occurred at a moment when relations between Russia and Western nations were strained. The Russian action in Ukraine sparked strong responses that reverberated through many cooperation channels, including spaceflight. Owing to a disruption in air traffic between Russia and the United States, Vande Hei completed the journey back overland through Transcaucasia from Kazakhstan, where the capsule landed after a long flight path.
The American crew member reported feeling strong and expressed satisfaction with his second ISS assignment in his career.
On return, the veteran NASA astronaut described life aboard the space station as profoundly different from life on Earth. He recalled that stepping back onto the ground made him feel as if he were reliving childhood memories, with distant experiences suddenly appearing in sharp detail and new clarity.
The crew member offered his reflections on the experience.
Following landing, recovery efforts focused on rehabilitation after extended exposure to microgravity. It is well understood that standing and walking can be challenging after weeks in weightlessness, yet Vande Hei resumed walking just eight hours after landing, a testament to disciplined training conducted in orbit. He also noted the psychological challenges of long-duration spaceflight, but credited meditation and listening to an inner voice with sustaining him through the experience.
Despite efforts to keep politics away from daily operations, political tensions around the world affected the ISS on occasion. The arrival of cosmonauts Artemiev, Matveev, and Korsakov on March 18 drew attention when their blue and yellow suits were interpreted by some Western media as a nod to Ukraine, though the colors were later identified as representing the Bauman University insignia for the three crew members. The misunderstanding prompted reflective comments from Vande Hei, who suggested the wearers likely did not foresee the reception those garments would receive in some circles.
Vande Hei emphasized that the crew’s discussions about current events were brief and focused on their shared mission. He described his Russian colleagues as close friends with whom he could rely on mutual support during the mission. He stressed that professional collaboration would continue beyond their current assignment, while acknowledging the complexity of geopolitical dynamics that frame their work.
When asked about the Russians’ feelings, Vande Hei indicated that it would be better for them to express their own perspectives. He preferred not to adjudicate their emotional responses, pointing out that his role was to maintain the operational partnership and safety of the crew above all else.
In March, conversations about ongoing cooperation between Russia and the United States on the ISS recurred in the broader media and policy discussions. Roscosmos leadership acknowledged the political environment while NASA urged its current and former astronauts to engage constructively with international partners to safeguard research and exploration on the station. A humorous video involving the ISS and the American segment circulating online prompted mixed reactions, and Vande Hei noted that personal concerns from family members were heightened by such broadcasts, though he did not let them influence his professional stance.
Looking ahead, the next crewed mission to the ISS is scheduled for April 8. The Crew Dragon capsule, launched on a Falcon 9 rocket, will deliver four members of private company Axiom Space’s AX-1 mission to the orbiting lab. The mission will enable a broad program of experiments, including prototypes of autonomous robotic structures and other advanced technologies designed to expand the capabilities of long-term human presence in space.