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US astronaut reveals what he missed most about life on Earth Credits: Social Media
By Tom Llewellyn

US astronaut reveals what he missed most about life on Earth

By Tom Llewellyn

US astronaut Frank Rubio explains what he missed the most about life on Earth and the record-breaking challenges he faced while on the ISS.

Being able to peer out of the window of the International Space Station (ISS) to see the Earth sprawled out beneath you is the ultimate dream of any would-be astronaut. Yet living and working on the ISS brings its own unique challenges that only a handful of our best and brightest will ever get to experience firsthand. Theres so much to do and see in space but as American astronaut Frank Rubio explains, theres also so much to miss back home.  

Expedition 69 Soyuz Landing
ZHEZKAZGAN, KAZAKHSTAN – SEPTEMBER 27: Expedition 69 NASA astronaut Frank Rubio is carried to a medical tent shortly after he, and Roscosmos cosmonauts Dmitri Petelin and Sergey Prokopyev landed in their Soyuz MS-23 spacecraft on September 27, 2023 near the town of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan. The trio are returning to Earth after logging 371 days in space as members of Expeditions 68-69 aboard the International Space Station. For Rubio, his mission is the longest single spaceflight by a U.S. astronaut in history. (Photo by Bill Ingalls/NASA via Getty Images)

US astronaut Frank Rubio reveals what he missed most when in space

When US astronaut Frank Rubio lifted off from the surface of the Earth in 2022, his mission to the ISS was originally planned to be just six months long.

However, after the Soyuz spacecraft sustained heavy damage, his stay on the ISS was extended to 371 days  which now stands as the record for the longest spaceflight in American history.

This week, Rubio gave a fascinating interview about what he missed the most about life on Earth, the challenges he faced on the ISS, and how he felt when his boots touched back down.

Speaking to NPRs All Things Considered podcast this week, US astronaut Frank Rubio revealed that the two things that he missed most were (unsurprisingly) his family and space  thats not outer space, but the outdoors.

Well, my family for sure. And then, you know, I love the outdoors. And so that was actually really challenging because the space station is great, but it is very small. And it’s a very enclosed space.

Rubio explained how the ISS might be the size of a large two or three-bedroom house, but really it’s a two- to three-bedroom house composed entirely of hallways.

Space Shuttle Endeavour Makes Last Trip To ISS Under Command Of Astronaut Mark Kelly
IN SPACE – MAY 29: In this handout provided by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), back dropped by planet Earth the International Space Station (ISS) is seen from NASA space shuttle Endeavour after the station and shuttle began their post-undocking relative separation May 29, 2011 in space. After 20 years, 25 missions and more than 115 million miles in space, NASA space shuttle Endeavour is on the last leg of its final flight to the International Space Station before being retired and donated to the California Science Center in Los Angeles. Capt. Mark E. Kelly, U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords’ (D-AZ) husband, has lead mission STS-134 as it delivered the Express Logistics Carrier-3 (ELC-3) and the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS-2) to the International Space Station. (Photo by NASA via Getty Images)

There’s no large room that you can go and just enjoy a little bit of space. And, you know, our crew quarters, which is really the only privacy you have, is about the size of a small phone booth. And so, yeah, you do have to just be disciplined about the fact that – not to focus on the fact that it’s so enclosed.

Astronaut looked forward to a ‘hot shower’ – something we all take for granted

After spending a record-breaking time in space and aside from seeing loved ones in person, what would be the standout thing you did once you got home?

Well, Rubio explained how something that I had been looking forward to was a nice, hot shower with running water  and thats something I think we all can agree with since much of the water on the ISS is recycled from things like urine.

We stay really clean up there. You basically do a towel bath every day that you’re up there. But taking an actual shower with running water for the first time felt incredibly good.

KAZAKHSTAN-RUSSIA-US-SPACE-ISS
NASA astronaut Frank Rubio, a member of the International Space Station (ISS) Expedition 68 main crew, gestures a heart as his spacesuit is tested during pre-launch preparations at the Russian leased Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on September 21, 2022. – Expedition 68 astronaut Frank Rubio of NASA, and cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin of Roscosmos are scheduled to launch aboard their Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft on September 21. (Photo by NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA / AFP) (Photo by NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA/AFP via Getty Images)

Rubio described re-entry as Becoming a meteorite yourself

Considering his mission to the ISS was extended because of damage to the Soyuz spacecraft, its no surprise Rubio found the added time in space as kind of challenging.

It was challenging because you knew you’d be away from your family longer than anticipated, but you also knew that they were making the right decision as for our safety. And so that obviously made it a little bit more palatable. And bottom line is we’re all mission focused.

Yet those challenges were proven worthwhile upon re-entry to the Earths atmosphere, which Rubio described as one of my favorite experiences.

Appreciating the engineering and the science that goes into making sure that that happens safely every single time a crew comes home is pretty special, right? It all has to work perfectly right every single time and it has to this point.

Rubio then explained how when descending back home, you are essentially becoming a meteorite yourself which is pretty incredible.

Expedition 69 Soyuz Landing
ZHEZKAZGAN, KAZAKHSTAN – SEPTEMBER 27: In this handout provided by NASA, the Soyuz MS-23 spacecraft is seen as it lands in a remote area near the town of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan with Expedition 69 NASA astronaut Frank Rubio, Roscosmos cosmonauts Dmitri Petelin and Sergey Prokopyev, on September 27, 2023. The trio are returning to Earth after logging 371 days in space as members of Expeditions 68-69 aboard the International Space Station. For Rubio, his mission is the longest single spaceflight by a U.S. astronaut in history. (Photo by Bill Ingalls/NASA via Getty Images)

Whilst astronauts often suffer from both physical and mental health consequences of extended spaceflights, Rubio is now almost fully recovered from the experience, having returned in September 2023: I’d say I’m about 90 to 95% back to perfectly normal.