Updated
Updated · CBS New York · Jul 26
Chris Williams, 2 Cosmonauts Return From 241-Day ISS Mission, Landing in Kazakhstan
Updated
Updated · CBS New York · Jul 26

Chris Williams, 2 Cosmonauts Return From 241-Day ISS Mission, Landing in Kazakhstan

3 articles · Updated · CBS New York · Jul 26

Summary

  • Soyuz MS-28 touched down near Dzhezkazgan at 6:27 a.m. EDT Sunday, bringing NASA astronaut Chris Williams and cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergey Mikaev home after 241 days in orbit.
  • A 4-minute, 42-second deorbit burn sent the capsule out of orbit after a 3:03 a.m. EDT undocking, followed by parachute descent and a rocket-assisted landing on Kazakhstan's steppe.
  • The mission covered 3,856 orbits and 102 million miles; Williams and Mikaev completed their first spaceflight, while Kud-Sverchkov finished his second.
  • Williams carried out two spacewalks during the expedition, while Kud-Sverchkov and Mikaev completed a maintenance EVA outside the station's Russian segment.
  • Jessica Meir took over ISS command before landing, with replacement crew already aboard and the next NASA-sponsored crew set to launch from Florida on Sept. 12.

Insights

How do US and Russian crews maintain seamless cooperation aboard the ISS while their nations face intense geopolitical friction on Earth?
Why is NASA urgently injecting $300 million to modernize its Apollo-era Houston facilities right before the next Artemis lunar missions?
What groundbreaking medical discoveries from this 241-day microgravity mission could secretly revolutionize terrestrial cancer treatments?