US-Russian Space Crew Returns to Earth After Eight-Month ISS Mission

A US-Russian space crew touched back down on Earth on Sunday following an eight-month mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

NASA astronaut Chris Williams and Russian cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev landed safely in their Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft in Kazakhstan at around 3:27 pm local time, to the southeast of the city of Dzhezkazgan.

According to NASA, the crew had spent the last 241 days in space, orbiting the Earth 3,856 times and travelling more than 102 million miles as they carried out scientific investigations aimed at helping “improve life on Earth” and preparing for future missions to the Moon and Mars.

Williams’ work involved helping “advance research for new cancer treatments and improved in-space manufacturing of materials used in high-performance computers and electronics,” the space agency said in a press release.

“Williams also completed two spacewalks to prep for space station power system upgrades and to replace a faulty joint on the Canadarm2 robotic arm,” it added.

Russia’s Roscosmos space agency said the ISS 74 mission included one Russian spacewalk to install equipment for the Sun-Terahertz scientific experiment, which will examine the terahertz radiation of the Sun. The crew also received two Russian Progress MS spacecraft laden with supplies critical to supporting life on the ISS, including water, fuel, and atmospheric gases, Roscosmos said.

The team will undergo medical checks before being flown to Karaganda in central Kazakhstan, where they are due to meet up with recovery teams.