SJU alum to return from space despite uncertainty
Mark Vande Hei, a former Johnnie and a current astronaut, is set to return to Earth after spending 355 consecutive days in space, breaking the U.S. record. He will return aboard a Russian spacecraft on March 30.
As the war in Ukraine rages on, its ramifications continue to affect people across the globe, and, in SJU alum and astronaut Mark Vande Hei’s case, those orbiting around it.
Vande Hei’s return trip from the International Space Station, which he has been on since April 9, 2021, was cast into doubt in early March when Dmitry Rogozin, chief of Russia’s space agency Roscosmos, posted a highly edited video that appeared to show Russian astronauts departing the station without Vande Hei.
However, NASA officials said Monday that Vande Hei will return on March 30 aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft, as was initially planned. Russian state news outlet Tass also announced Monday that Vande Hei would return as planned.
Physics professor Tom Kirkman, who taught Vande Hei while he was a student at SJU, believed that Vande Hei would return safely all along.
“The [Twitter] thread, in terms of the video, was always kind of weird,” Kirkman said. “I’m certainly glad that nothing happened. I was expecting that nothing was going to happen, and I guess I’ll be even happier when he’s on the ground, but I’m reasonably happy now.”
Rogozin has exhibited a penchant for extreme posts on social media in the past, so this particular post wasn’t out of the ordinary. However, with increasing tensions between Russa and the U.S., it was a cause for concern.
U.S. astronauts have been traveling to the space station aboard Russian spacecrafts for nearly a decade, and it appears that the partnership will continue despite this occurrence.
The controversy surrounding his return has overshadowed a milestone achievement for Vande Hei—breaking the record for the single longest spaceflight in U.S. history.
He set the record late Tuesday morning, eclipsing NASA astronaut Scott Kelly’s previous record of 340 days, eight hours and 42 minutes, set in 2016. If he returns as scheduled to Earth on March 30, Vande Hei will have spent 355 consecutive days in space.
“I think I always knew that he was going to do great stuff, but to be the greatest of the great is pretty cool,” Kirkman said.
Vande Hei, who graduated from SJU in 1989, also went to space in 2017. He has visited campus on multiple occasions over the years, presenting to students and the greater central Minnesota community. He also appeared on video calls from space during the 2017 voyage and was the speaker at the 2019 commencement.
“Mark’s visits to CSB/SJU have been a great influence on our students, especially those who have had the chance to interact with him directly. His example demonstrates for students how far the dedicated pursuit of opportunities can take them,” physics professor Dean Langley said via email.
Langley, a 1991 SJU graduate, attended SJU at the same time as Vande Hei and said he “always looked for challenging things to do.”
Both Langley and Kirkman await Vande Hei’s safe return.
“I am very proud of him for all he has accomplished and glad that he could have this adventurous career. Mark has shown enormous physical and mental stamina, and even made it look like fun. I look forward to his safe return, and hope he gets some well-earned rest and relaxation with his family,” Langley said.