Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore return: Which astronauts have spent the longest time in space?

Astronauts Barry ‘Butch’ Wilmore and Sunita Williams are all set to return to Earth after being stranded for 286 days aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Technical issues with their Boeing Starliner spacecraft led to the duo staying longer at the ISS than planned.

The SpaceX Dragon capsule, which is bringing the astronauts back, is set to land at 5:57 pm ET off the coast of Florida, if the weather conditions are amenable.

Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore are not the only astronauts to have completed months aboard the ISS. The record for spending the maximum number of days goes to another astronaut.

American astronauts who spent the longest time in space

Frank Rubio holds the record for the longest continuous stay in space. He spent 371 days on the ISS. Rubio went on a six-month mission to the space station but it got extended after his spacecraft developed a coolant leak. He finally came home when Russia’s space agency sent Soyuz MS-23 spacecraft, according to Time magazine. Rubio, along with Russian cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin, returned to Earth on September 27, 2023.

The American astronaut with the largest cumulative time in space is Peggy Whitson. She spent 675 days in space, with three NASA missions as well as a flight with Axiom Space. Whitson holds the record for longest cumulative time spent in space for a woman. In 2008, she became the first female commander of the ISS.

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Astronaut who spent maximum number of days in space

Russian cosmonaut Valery Polyakov spent 437 days, 17 hours, and 38 minutes in space. He was part of the longest single spaceflight in history. He achieved the record in 1995.

When it comes to total time spent in space, another cosmonaut, Oleg Kononenko, holds the record. Kononenko spent over 1,000 days or 33 months in space. He was part of five ISS missions over 16 years.

Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore return

The astronauts boarded the SpaceX Dragon capsule on Monday. Footage shared by NASA showed Williams and Wilmore posing with their ISS colleagues for photos before getting into the capsule. NASA will provide a live broadcast of the final stages of the SpaceX capsule’s descent.

The return of the astronauts became mired in controversy recently when SpaceX boss Elon Musk claimed that the Biden administration had delayed the return of Williams and Wilmore. The billionaire claimed that the delay was due to political reasons. NASA officials had denied the claims.

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FAQ

Which astronaut has spent the longest time in space?
Russian cosmonaut Valery Polyakov spent the longest continuous time in space. Oleg Kononenko, holds the record for longest cumulative time in space.

When will Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore return?
The SpaceX Dragon capsule carrying the astronauts is expected to land at 5:57 pm ET on Tuesday.