But living in space that long poses all kinds# of physical and physiological challenges.

So,## NASA is trying to learn as much as it can from# astronauts who've spent the most time in space.

Science correspondent Miles O'Brien spoke with the## American who has set the record# for longest single s MAN: Touchdown.

Touchdown confirmed at 6:17 a.m.# Central time.

Rubio's record ride comes to an end.

MILES O'BRIEN: NASA astronaut Frank Rubio# finally returned to terra firma in September,## 371 days after he launched to the International# Space Station aboard a Russian Soyuz rocket.

It was a record-breaking mission for a U.S.# spacefarer that was not planned.

About three## months after he and his two Russian crewmates# arrived at the station, their Soyuz capsule sprung## a coolant leak, apparently after a micrometeoroid# strike.

They would have to wait for the Russian## Space Agency to build and launch them a new ride# home.

It more than doubled their time in space.

I caught up with Frank Rubio toward the# end of his re-acclamation to life on Earth.

How are things going?

What are# you experiencing right now?

FRANK RUBIO, NASA Astronaut: Yes.

Yes, it' that's gone well and smoothly, which has been a# blessing, and then a lot of physical training.

So,## yes, it's a matter of getting the# muscles and bones back into shape.

MILES O'BRIEN: You're a physician and# also a test subject.

I'm curious what## you have experienced and what the# road to normalcy has been like.

FRANK RUBIO: Yes, so one of the good things is# that we have been doing this for 23 years, right?

And so astronauts early on would lose# up to 20 percent of their bone dens And that's just because you're not getting# the day-to-day pounding on the bones that## standing and walking provide.

And that stressor# actually is really good for An d so when you're missing that,# floating around for a year especially,## that can be hard.

The good thing is that we# have a lot of resistance trai do almost two hours of the day.

And I actually# lost very little bone density because of t because I was able to stay diligent# and consistent on that exercise.

I actually lost a little bit less than# a lot of six-month mission people do,## and that's been great.

MILES O'BRIEN: Would you say yo FRANK RUBIO: Not 100 percent, but I bet I'm pretty## close to 90 to 95 percent.# So I'm feeling really good.

MILES O'BRIEN: So, 23-plus years into the space# station, a lot of lessons have including all that resistance# training that you mentioned.

Is NASA ready to send astronauts on# long-duration missions, ulti FRANK RUBIO: Yes, so I think,# from a human perspective,## we definitely understand what li ke I said, just consistent stressors# applied to the body there and back.

And I think we could certainly do it.

Obviously,## we're not quite there yet from th ere and back.

But I think we could.

It# would be challenging.

But I also think the## motivation for mission success would be# incredibly high for a mission like that.

And so the humans that you put on that mission,# I think, could make it happen, for sure.

MILES O'BRIEN: All right, let's talk# a little bit about the psychology of## being up there.

You expected to# see your f Walk us through how you came# to terms with all of this.

FRANK RUBIO: Yes, Miles, that's a great question.

Fortunately, my background had sort o career.

And so I have had deployments,# and the family's kind of been through that## adjustment of ramping up to the deployment,# having the fortitude to make it through it.

And then, as you know, a lot of our military# often get told, hey, you're staying a little## bit longer than anticipated.

I never got# extended much longer than about a month.

B psychologically, it's really not too# different, whether it's a month or## six months.

And you just -- you definitely# have a It was hard for a few days# or maybe a week.

And then,## after that, you kind of settle in,# you realize that we can do an d the mission has to happen, and# you just kind of set your mind to it.

MILES O'BRIEN: And I know astronauts# have an opportunity on a to have private teleconferences with their# families.

How important was that for you?

FRANK RUBIO: Incredibly important, yes.

And that's## something that I think that's something that we're going to# have to make sure that is present.

Honestly, it makes you feel like you're still# part of the family.

And as lon is doing well, I think most of us can do just# about anything for as long as it's needed.

MILES O'BRIEN: So, aside from family,## one of the things station is fresh food.

And you became quite a# gardener in spac I'm curious how the vegetables you grow in space,## how do they taste?

I mean, after# all, you're not using soil.

FRANK RUBIO: We were supposed to get# half the crop to eat ourselv then send half back for science.

Unfortunately,## because of things not going as expected,# we were supposed to se So, I really didn't get a chance to taste# any of the food that we grew u MILES O'BRIEN: In March, when he was harvesting# some of those tomatoes, he put two in bag and thought he'd Velcroed it firmly# in place.

But it floated away.

He says he## searched for it for hours.

His fellow crewmates# jokingly accused him of eating the produce.

But in December this year, about three# months after he left the station: WOMAN: We might have found something that# someone had been looking for, for quite a MILES O'BRIEN: ... the current crew found# the floating fruit, solving the mystery.

I assume that was a nice moment of exoneration.

FRANK RUBIO: Yes, it was.

And I -- are going to take every opportunity to# make fun of me possible.

So they sure## as heck weren't going to get me out of it# by making up that they found it.

were cherry-sized tomatoes.

And so if we# were going to eat it, we would have had## to split it between seven people.

So it really# wouldn't have been worth it in the fi But, yes, no, it's -- I'm glad they# found it.

I don't know that they're## going to be able to use them for science.

But MILES O'BRIEN: Let's talk about the Russian# partnership here.

It's a complex situation,## of course, with the invasion of Ukraine, which# has cast the partnership in a different light.

Is there much concern about the reliability of# the Russian partnership at this stage of the game?

FRANK RUBIO: Well, our job as a crew# really again is to focus on the mission.

And so my focus was on my two crewmates.

And# they are fantastic human beings le vel.

We really meshed well.

We supported each# other well.

Ultimately, we're on a mission that## it's an incredibly dangerous environment and# our lives depend on each other.

And so you## have to have that trust and you have to have that# relationship built before anything were to happen.

And so, again, despite the differences,# I think it's incredibly important to just## nurture that relationship as much as possible.# And I think we successfully were able to do that.

MILES O'BRIEN: All right, Frank Rubio,# thank you so much for your time.

FRANK RUBIO: Thanks so much, Miles.# Take care.

Good talkin MILES O'BRIEN: Bye-bye.