NASA Astronaut Chris Williams and Crew Set to Return to Earth July 26

Mission Accomplishments and Return Logistics

By the time the crew completes their mission, they will have traveled more than 102 million miles and finished 3,856 orbits of the Earth. This flight serves as the first space mission for both Williams and Mikaev, while it marks the second mission for Kud-Sverchkov.

The return process begins with the spacecraft undocking from the station’s Rassvet module at 3:02 a.m. EDT on July 26. Following a deorbit burn at 5:32 a.m. EDT, the Soyuz MS-28 is expected to perform a parachute-assisted landing at 6:26 a.m. EDT (3:26 p.m. local time) on the steppe of Kazakhstan, located southeast of Dzhezkazgan. Once the capsule has landed, recovery teams will transport the three crew members by helicopter to Karaganda, Kazakhstan. From there, Williams will travel to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, while Kud-Sverchkov and Mikaev will return to their training base in Star City, Russia.

Transition of Command

The return of the Soyuz MS-28 marks a shift in leadership aboard the orbital outpost. On Saturday, July 25, at 9:40 a.m. EDT, coverage will begin for the Expedition 74/75 change-of-command ceremony. During this event, Kud-Sverchkov will officially transfer command of the station to NASA astronaut Jessica Meir. Expedition 75 will commence the moment the Soyuz MS-28 undocks from the station.

The collaboration between these astronauts has been a hallmark of recent station operations. Earlier this summer, Williams and Meir participated in the 95th U.S. spacewalk on June 30, 2026, to replace a faulty wrist joint on the station’s Canadarm2 robotic system. According to msn.com, the repair operation, which lasted seven hours and twenty minutes, was initiated after the robotic arm failed to respond to commands on May 27, 2026.

Live Coverage Schedule

NASA has outlined a comprehensive schedule for the public to monitor the final hours of the mission. All times listed are in Eastern Daylight Time and remain subject to change based on real-time operational requirements:

• Saturday, July 25:
  • 9:40 a.m. – Change-of-command ceremony coverage.
  • 11:10 p.m. – Coverage of crew farewells and hatch closing begins.
  • 11:30 p.m. – Hatch closing.
• Sunday, July 26:
  • 2:30 a.m. – Coverage of undocking begins.
  • 3:02 a.m. – Undocking.
  • 5:15 a.m. – Coverage of deorbit and landing begins.
  • 5:32 a.m. – Deorbit burn.
  • 6:26 a.m. – Landing.

Scientific Context and Future Exploration

The International Space Station has hosted a continuous human presence for more than 25 years. This duration of habitation has allowed for significant scientific breakthroughs that are not possible to achieve on Earth. As noted by Spaceanddefense, the ongoing research and operations conducted by crews like the one currently finishing their mission are essential for helping NASA understand the physiological and technical challenges of human spaceflight. These efforts provide a critical foundation for future long-duration missions, including those planned for the Moon under the Artemis program and eventual crewed missions to Mars.