After spending 220 days in orbit and traveling over 93.3 million miles, NASA astronaut Donald Pettit and Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner have safely returned to Earth aboard the Soyuz MS-26 spacecraft.
The capsule made a parachute-assisted landing on the Kazakh steppe at 9:20 p.m. EDT Saturday (6:50 a.m. IST), southeast of the town of Dzhezkazgan, following their departure from the International Space Station (ISS) at 5:57 p.m. EDT (3.27 a.m. IST).
The trio, who launched to the orbiting laboratory on September 11, 2024, orbited Earth 3,520 times and served as the primary crew of Expedition 72. Their mission concluded with scientific and symbolic milestones: Pettit celebrates his 70th birthday the same day as their return.
The veteran crew returns
This flight marked:
Pettit served as flight engineer for Expeditions 71 and 72, and contributed to a diverse range of scientific research during his mission. His work included advancing metal 3D printing in microgravity, improving water sanitization technologies, studying plant growth under varying water conditions, and investigating fire behavior in space.
Known for his creativity and scientific curiosity, Pettit also used his spare time aboard the station to conduct unique experiments and share his awe-inspiring photography with the public.
The return to home
Shortly after landing, the crew was assisted from the capsule and underwent routine postlanding medical checks. They were then transported via helicopter to the recovery staging city of Karaganda, Kazakhstan.
From there, as per the US space agency, Pettit will board a NASA aircraft back to Houston, where he will continue his post-mission recovery at Johnson Space Center.
Ovchinin and Vagner will return to Russia’s Star City for debriefing and training.
NASA reported that Pettit is in good condition, within the expected range for returning astronauts.
International Cooperation in Space
The landing comes just weeks after the launch of Soyuz MS-27 on April 8, which carried Russian cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky, along with NASA astronaut Jonny Kim, to the ISS. That crew is scheduled to return in December after completing 50 scientific experiments.
The handover of command from Expedition 72 to Expedition 73, led by Japanese astronaut Takuya Onishi, took place on April 18, continuing the ISS's legacy of continuous human presence in orbit for over two decades.
Despite geopolitical tensions since 2022, including the war in Ukraine and subsequent Western sanctions, space remains one of the few areas of steady cooperation between the U.S. and Russia.
The capsule made a parachute-assisted landing on the Kazakh steppe at 9:20 p.m. EDT Saturday (6:50 a.m. IST), southeast of the town of Dzhezkazgan, following their departure from the International Space Station (ISS) at 5:57 p.m. EDT (3.27 a.m. IST).
The trio, who launched to the orbiting laboratory on September 11, 2024, orbited Earth 3,520 times and served as the primary crew of Expedition 72. Their mission concluded with scientific and symbolic milestones: Pettit celebrates his 70th birthday the same day as their return.
Happy birthday, @astro_Pettit! Many happy returns (including this one) 🥳
— NASA (@NASA) April 20, 2025
The MS-26 Soyuz spacecraft touched down in Kazakhstan at 9:20pm ET—or, in local time, 6:20am April 20, Pettit's 70th birthday. pic.twitter.com/qFM5fAxnA0
The veteran crew returns
This flight marked:
- Donald Pettit’s fourth spaceflight, bringing his career total to 590 days in orbit.
- Alexey Ovchinin’s fourth spaceflight, now totaling 595 days in space.
- Ivan Vagner’s second mission, with 416 cumulative days spent in orbit.
Pettit served as flight engineer for Expeditions 71 and 72, and contributed to a diverse range of scientific research during his mission. His work included advancing metal 3D printing in microgravity, improving water sanitization technologies, studying plant growth under varying water conditions, and investigating fire behavior in space.
Known for his creativity and scientific curiosity, Pettit also used his spare time aboard the station to conduct unique experiments and share his awe-inspiring photography with the public.
The return to home
Shortly after landing, the crew was assisted from the capsule and underwent routine postlanding medical checks. They were then transported via helicopter to the recovery staging city of Karaganda, Kazakhstan.
From there, as per the US space agency, Pettit will board a NASA aircraft back to Houston, where he will continue his post-mission recovery at Johnson Space Center.
Ovchinin and Vagner will return to Russia’s Star City for debriefing and training.
NASA reported that Pettit is in good condition, within the expected range for returning astronauts.
International Cooperation in Space
The landing comes just weeks after the launch of Soyuz MS-27 on April 8, which carried Russian cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky, along with NASA astronaut Jonny Kim, to the ISS. That crew is scheduled to return in December after completing 50 scientific experiments.
The handover of command from Expedition 72 to Expedition 73, led by Japanese astronaut Takuya Onishi, took place on April 18, continuing the ISS's legacy of continuous human presence in orbit for over two decades.
Despite geopolitical tensions since 2022, including the war in Ukraine and subsequent Western sanctions, space remains one of the few areas of steady cooperation between the U.S. and Russia.
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