Mark Vande Hei recently broke the American record for the most consecutive days in space — 355 days.
He was working alongside Russian cosmonauts at the International Space Station, which is a symbol of peaceful cooperation between nations, but here on Earth things are a lot different.
"For me personally, it was not a topic I shielded away from with my crewmates, said Vande Hei. "They weren't very long discussions but I did ask them how they were feeling and sometimes asked them pointed questions."
Vande Hei is speaking about the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
He said he and the cosmonauts remained focused on their mission together, despite the events unfolding on Earth.
"Speaking specifically about my relationship with my Russian crewmates, they were, are, and continue to be very dear friends of mine," said Vande Hei during a news conference after he landed back on Earth.
But will the space station continue to be that symbol of U.S./Russian teamwork of all nations being able to work together?
"Some people that don't care so much about space, care about international relations, and having a space station where we can cooperate is really important for a peaceful future," Vande Hei said.
He and two cosmonauts came back to earth a week ago aboard a Russian Soyuz capsule that landed in Kazakhstan.
RELATED: 'It's beautiful out here' | NASA astronaut returns to Earth after record-breaking spaceflight
Vande Hei said he hopes their working partnership never comes to an end.