A U.S.-Russian space crew safely landed in Kazakhstan on Sunday, concluding a 241-day mission aboard the International Space Station. NASA astronaut Chris Williams and Russian cosmonauts Sergei Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev touched down in their Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft in a designated area southeast of Dzhezkazgan.
This mission marked the first spaceflight for Williams and Mikaev, while it was the second for Kud-Sverchkov. Following their return to Earth, the crew will be transported by helicopter to Karaganda. From there, Williams will travel to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, and Kud-Sverchkov and Mikaev will return to their training center in Star City, near Moscow.
The landing comes amid continued, albeit strained, cooperation between the U.S. and Russia in space exploration. Despite geopolitical tensions following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, both nations have maintained collaborative efforts aboard the International Space Station, facilitating joint crewed missions.
Meanwhile, a new crew arrived at the orbiting outpost on July 14 for their own eight-month mission. NASA astronaut Anil Menon, along with Roscosmos cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina, launched from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Their arrival marked the first visit to Baikonur by a NASA administrator in eight years, with NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman attending the launch.