US-Russian Space Crew Lands Safely in Kazakhstan After 8 Months on ISS

The journey home began early Sunday when the trio undocked from the orbiting laboratory, closing out a mission that spanned 3,856 orbits and covered over 102 million miles. For Williams and Mikaev, the flight marked their first journey into space, while Kud-Sverchkov completed his second long-duration assignment.

Parachute Descent and Immediate Post-Landing Protocols in Kazakhstan

The Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft made a parachute-assisted touchdown southeast of Dzhezkazgan at 5:27 a.m. CDT on July 26, 2026. Russian recovery crews stationed on the steppe quickly raced to the crew module to assist the fliers as they adjusted back to Earth’s gravity after eight months of weightlessness.

Following standard Soyuz landing procedures, the returning crew members were placed in recliners for initial medical checks alongside fresh fruit and satellite phone calls to family and friends. After completing their initial medical evaluations on the ground, Kud-Sverchkov and Mikaev prepared for a flight to their training base in Star City, just outside Moscow. Williams boarded a helicopter to Karaganda before catching a NASA aircraft bound for the Johnson Space Center in Houston.

Scientific Investigations and Station Upgrades During Expedition Stint

During their 241 days in orbit, Williams supported a diverse portfolio of scientific investigations and technology demonstrations. His work contributed to advancing research for new cancer treatments and improving in-space manufacturing techniques for materials utilized in high-performance computers and electronics. Beyond laboratory research, Williams completed two spacewalks to prepare the space station for power system upgrades and to replace a faulty joint on the Canadarm2 robotic arm. Kud-Sverchkov and Mikaev also staged a maintenance spacewalk outside the Russian segment of the complex.

Reflecting on his time aloft with his crewmates, Williams praised the dynamic onboard environment before his return. Williams said he could not have asked for better crewmates.

“Sergey and Sergey are both just absolutely wonderful people, really kind, super interested, super intellectually curious, which is really fun. Had a lot of really, really great discussions, just talking and talking about things.”

Chris Williams, NASA astronaut

Expedition 75 Handover and Ongoing Orbital Operations

The departure of the Soyuz MS-28 crew follows a command handover ceremony where NASA astronaut Jessica Meir took over command of the station from Kud-Sverchkov. The newly constituted Expedition 75 crew includes Meir, Jack Hathaway, European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev, alongside recently arrived fliers Pyotr Dubrov, Anna Kikina, and NASA astronaut Anil Menon, who launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on July 14.

The ongoing international cooperation underscores the operational continuity of the station. Once bitter rivals in the space race during the Cold War, the United States and Russia have maintained continuous habitation and joint operations aboard the orbiting outpost for more than 25 years, even as terrestrial geopolitical tensions persisted.