Willie R. Tubbs, FISM News

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Events Wednesday squashed whatever fears might have lingered over the fate of an American astronaut who was relying on a Russian spaceship to carry him home.

According to a NASA release, the capsule carrying astronaut Mark Vande Hei, who recently completed an American record 355 days in space on the International Space Station, and a pair of Russian cosmonauts safely landed in Kazakhstan.

“Mark’s mission is not only record-breaking, but also paving the way for future human explorers on the Moon, Mars, and beyond,” NASA administrator Bill Nelson said. “Our astronauts make incredible sacrifices in the name of science, exploration, and cutting-edge technology development, not least among them time away from loved ones. NASA and the nation are proud to welcome Mark home and grateful for his incredible contributions throughout his year-long stay on the International Space Station.”

Earlier this month, the status of the international space program and Vande Hei’s return were both uncertain following remarks during which President Joe Biden promised that the sanctions the U.S. levied against Russian for its invasion of Ukraine would, “degrade their aerospace industry, including their space program.”

In response, Dimitry Rogozin, the head of the Russian space program and a strong supporter of Russian President Vladimir Putin, warned that U.S. sanctions could create “dire” problems for the International Space Station. Rogozin’s use of “dire” caused some to worry Vande Hei’s sojourn home could be jeopardized.

At the time, NASA was adamant that earthy geopolitical problems would not cause issues on the International Space Station.

 “The teams continue to work together,” Joel Montalbano, manager of NASA’s International Space Station program, said. “Are they aware of what’s going on Earth? Absolutely. But the teams are professional. They’ve trained to do a job, and they’re going to do that job.”

Upon landing, the trio of space travelers were taken via Russian helicopters to a staging city in Kazakhstan. They will eventually part ways, with the Russia cosmonauts returning home directly and Vande Hei being flown on a NASA craft to Cologne, Germany, and then back to the states.

Vande Hei spent his time in space primarily conducting plant and physical science experiments.