The Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft touches down safely in Kazakhstan following a 102-million-mile journey aboard the International Space Station.
BAIKONUR, Kazakhstan : NASA astronaut Chris Williams and two Russian cosmonauts returned safely to Earth on Monday after completing a 241-day mission aboard the International Space Station, wrapping up a journey that covered more than 102 million miles in orbit.
The Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft touched down on the Kazakh steppe under clear skies, bringing an end to nearly eight months of microgravity research and orbital operations. Recovery teams from NASA and Roscosmos were deployed immediately to the landing site to assist the crew out of the capsule and perform preliminary medical evaluations.
During their stay aboard the orbital laboratory, the three crew members conducted hundreds of scientific experiments spanning human biology, materials science, and space technology testing. Their work contributed crucial data toward future long-duration deep space exploration, including prospective missions under NASA’s Artemis program.
Flight controllers confirmed that the descent, atmospheric re-entry, and parachute deployment executed as planned without technical anomalies. The crew reportedly emerged from the capsule in good health and high spirits before being transferred to a mobile medical facility for initial post-flight processing.
Williams and his fellow crewmates had docked with the International Space Station eight months ago, joining the Expedition crew to maintain continuous human presence in low-Earth orbit. Over the course of the 241 days, the station orbited Earth thousands of times, tracking the 102-million-mile milestone.
Following standard recovery protocols, Williams will be flown back to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, while the cosmonauts return to Star City outside Moscow for post-mission debriefs and physical rehabilitation.
