Russian Cosmonauts and U.S. Astronaut Return to Earth After Record-Breaking ISS Mission
A Russian Soyuz spacecraft carrying two Russian cosmonauts and a U.S. astronaut successfully landed in Kazakhstan on Monday, bringing an end to a record-setting mission on the International Space Station (ISS).
Soyuz capsule lands on steppe of Kazakhstan
The Soyuz MS-25 capsule touched down at 11:59 GMT, safely returning cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko, Nikolai Chub, and NASA astronaut Tracy Dyson to Earth three and a half hours after undocking from the station, concluding a smooth descent under a red-and-white parachute before landing on the vast Kazakh steppe.
Upon landing, recovery teams quickly arrived to help the crew out of the cramped descent module. Despite the long mission, all three appeared in good spirits, smiling as they were carried to nearby recliners for medical checks. Dyson even received a surprise bouquet of flowers from former ISS commander Oleg Novitskiy.
Oleg Kononenko breaks record for most time in space
Kononenko and Chub spent a marathon 374 days aboard the ISS, setting a new record for the longest continuous stay. Dyson’s mission, by contrast, lasted 184 days, having joined the ISS in March.
Kononenko, a veteran cosmonaut, now holds the record for the most time spent in space, with a cumulative total of 1,111 days over five missions, surpassing the previous record of 878 days held by fellow Russian cosmonaut Gennady Padalka.
Chub, on his first spaceflight, now joins the ranks of long-duration ISS crew members.
Williams praises Kononenko, Chub and Dyson
Their mission marks the end of Expedition 71, which saw Kononenko serving as station commander. In a change-of-command ceremony, he handed over leadership to NASA astronaut Sunita Williams.
Williams, who arrived on the station in June aboard Boeing’s Starliner capsule, thanked Kononenko, Chub, and Dyson for their professionalism and camaraderie.
“You adopted Butch [Wilmore] and I, even though that wasn’t quite the plan,” Williams said, acknowledging the unexpected delays and challenges caused by issues with the Starliner spacecraft.
“We’re going to miss your stories, Oleg, your professionalism, Nikolai, and Tracy, your ability to make order out of chaos.”
Crew Dragon capsule to launch this week
The return of the Soyuz crew sets the stage for new missions. NASA and SpaceX are preparing for the launch of astronaut Nick Hague and cosmonaut Alexander Gorbunov aboard a Crew Dragon capsule, scheduled for later this week.
They will join the remaining eight astronauts on the ISS, including the extended-stay Starliner crew, who are now set to return to Earth early next year.
As NASA continues to juggle crew rotations between the Crew Dragon and Starliner programs, the successful return of the Soyuz capsule highlights the international collaboration that keeps the ISS running smoothly.
