Soyuz MS-26 Spacecraft Safely Returns NASA and Russian Astronauts to Earth

Russian cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Wagner, along with American astronaut Donald Pettit, have safely returned to Earth after completing a seven-month scientific mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

The trio landed aboard the Russian Soyuz MS-26 spacecraft, which touched down smoothly southeast of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, at 6:20 a.m. local time (01:20 GMT) on Sunday. The successful landing was confirmed by both NASA and Roscosmos, the space agencies of the United States and Russia.

The mission marks another chapter in ongoing international collaboration in space, with all three crew members reported to be in good condition following their return.

NASA reported that the returning crew was transported to a recovery staging area in Karaganda, Kazakhstan, following their landing, and confirmed that astronaut Donald Pettit is in good health.

The trio arrived at the International Space Station on September 11, 2024, and spent a total of 220 days in orbit. During their mission, they circled the Earth 3,520 times, covering an impressive distance of approximately 93.3 million miles (150.15 million kilometers), according to a statement from NASA. The long-duration mission contributed to ongoing scientific research and international cooperation aboard the ISS.