Russian cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov on Mar. 29 handed over "the keys" to the International Space Station as NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei bid the international crew farewell.
Shkaplerov formally handed over command of the orbiting lab to NASA astronaut Thomas Marshburn in a ceremony streamed live on NASA's website.
Shkaplerov is leaving the station with fellow cosmonaut Pyotr Dubrov and NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei after arriving in October 2021. Even as Russia's invasion of Ukraine enters its second month, the three are scheduled to return to Earth aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft today, Mar. 30.
"People have problems on Earth. On orbit we are one crew. I think ISS is a symbol of the friendship and cooperation, like symbol of the future exploration of space," Shkaplerov said as he handed over the keys.
On Earth, tensions have reached an all-time high following Russia's invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24. Although international leaders, including President Joe Biden, have condemned the invasion, the space station has remained peaceful.
NASA has maintained that work on the orbiting lab will continue as usual.
Shkaplerov has been the commander of Expedition 66 on board the station since Nov. 6, after launching with Russian film director Klim Shipenko and actor Yulia Pereslid on Oct. 5. He and Dubrov, who arrived aboard the orbiting laboratory in April, will return to Earth tomorrow.
"I know you. You're professional, and I know you will [be a] very professional commander of ISS," Shkaplerov told Marshburn during the ceremony,
"Some satellites tried to kill us but we worked together very hard," Shkaplerov joked to Marshburn during the ceremony today.
The cosmonaut was referring to the obliterated Russian anti-satellite missile, which had endangered the lives of the crew in the fall of 2021.
Vande Hei, who can be seen beaming and clapping throughout the space ceremony, will be flying down to Earth with the pair in a Russian Soyuz capsule. With Russia's war still going on, it's unclear whether Vande Hei will return on a Soyuz or arrange a means of transport back to the U.S. However, it appears like the landing is proceeding as planned.
The NASA astronaut will set a new record when he returns to Earth. Vande Hei will have broken the record for the longest single spaceflight by an American astronaut during this mission. The previous record was 340 days in space, but Vande Hei will break it with a record-breaking 355 days in space.
