US astronaut Mark Vande Hei returning to Earth tomorrow on Russian spacecraft

The Nasa astronaut has spent a record 355 days in space

Astronaut Mark Vande Hei inspects a spacesuit in preparation for a spacewalk at the International Space Station in August 2021. Photo: Nasa

Nasa astronaut Mark Vande Hei is scheduled to return to Earth on Wednesday on a Russian spacecraft.

He has spent nearly a year in space, setting a record for the longest single spaceflight by an American astronaut, previously held by Scott Kelly.

Earlier this month, there were concerns that the astronaut would be stranded on the International Space Station, after Russia’s space chief Dmitry Rogozin posted a video on Twitter showing Russians departing the floating laboratory and leaving an American astronaut behind.

Roy Cooper / The National

Mr Rogozin has been vocal on social media in response to sanctions imposed on Russia by the West for its invasion of Ukraine.

However, most of his threats have not materialised, and Mr Hei will be returning on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft on March 30, along with his Russian cosmonaut colleagues.

“The reality is Mark Vande Hei is coming home on March 30 with Anton and Pyotr. We have confirmation from our Russian colleagues,” said Joel Montalbano, manager of the International Space Station programme, in an earlier press conference.

“We hold a readiness review for each of these major events. We had a readiness review with all the participants of the international partners, and everybody confirmed that the three people coming home will be Anton, Pyotr and Mark.”

Mr Hei flew into space on April 9, 2021, and has spent 355 days on the space station.

The crew will land on the Steppe of Kazakhstan at about 3.28pm, Dubai time.

Nasa will livestream the landing on its website, with coverage expected to begin at 7.30am.

Emirati astronaut survival training - in pictures

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  Mohammed Al Mulla, a former Dubai Police helicopter pilot, is progressing in his training at Nasa to become an astronaut. He recently completed survival training in a remote location in Alabama with nine of his Nasa colleagues. Here, he is seen building a shelter in the wilderness. All photos: Mr Al Mulla / Twitter

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  Mr Al Mulla with his Nasa colleagues.

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  Mr Al Mulla in the wilderness during the survival training.

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  Survival training involves learning to use resources to build fires and shelter.

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  The astronaut trainees take a selfie together.

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  The group were required to learn how to build fires, gather water and food, and build shelters.

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  They had to work as a team.

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  Effective teamwork is essential in space, especially during spacewalks, work inside the International Space Station and during the cruise phase.

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  Nora Al Matrooshi, the first Arab female astronaut, and Mr Al Mulla with their Nasa colleagues earlier this year when their training in Houston first started.