A multinational crew comprising NASA astronaut Chris Williams and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev returned to Earth on July 26, 2025, after spending 241 days aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Their Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft landed near Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, at 10:27 GMT (5:27 a.m. CDT).
The mission completed 3,856 orbits of Earth and traveled more than 102 million miles (164 million kilometers). It was the first spaceflight for Williams and Mikaev, and the second for Kud-Sverchkov.
During the mission, Williams conducted two spacewalks: one to prepare the ISS for electrical power system upgrades and another to replace a faulty joint on the Canadarm2 robotic arm. He also participated in research on potential cancer treatments and advanced manufacturing in microgravity.
After landing, the crew flew by helicopter to Karaganda, Kazakhstan, for medical evaluations. Williams then returned to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, while Kud-Sverchkov and Mikaev went to Star City, Russia.
The ISS has been continuously inhabited since November 2000—over 25 years. NASA states that research aboard the station supports advances in medicine, materials science, and technologies for future missions to the Moon and Mars.
The mission underscores one of the few remaining areas of cooperation between the US and Russia despite broader geopolitical tensions, according to reports.
Updates
The Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft touched down on Sunday at 3:27 p.m. Kazakhstan time, landing southeast of Dzhezkazgan. During the mission, NASA astronaut Chris Williams focused on advancing material production techniques in space intended for high-performance computing and electronics.
The Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft touched down on Sunday at 3:27 p.m. local time, landing southeast of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan. During the mission, NASA astronaut Chris Williams specifically focused on research aimed at enhancing the production of materials in space for high-performance computing and electronic applications.
The Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft landed safely in central Kazakhstan southeast of Dzhezkazgan at 3:27 p.m. local time on Sunday, following its undocking from the ISS approximately 3.5 hours prior. While some sources claim the landing occurred on July 26, 2026, the mission involved the crew's return as part of Expedition 74. NASA astronaut Chris Williams, who participated in space-based materials production research, has since traveled to the Johnson Space Center.
The Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft landed on July 26, 2026, though this date remains disputed by some sources. The vessel undocked from the ISS approximately 3.5 hours before touchdown and successfully returned to Earth using its parachutes southeast of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, at 3:27 p.m. local time. Additionally, the crew's mission has been identified as part of Expedition 74.
