Three astronauts land on Earth after 8-month stay aboard International Space Station—watch video

NASA astronaut Chris Williams along with Russian cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev safely returned from the International Space Station (ISS) on Sunday, concluding their MS-28 mission which launched in November 2025. The Soyuz spacecraft carrying the trio landed in Kazakhstan at 5:27 am CDT, southeast of Dzhezkazgan, after departing the space station at 2:03 am.

The crew has returned after spending 241 days in space, with the crew members completing 3,856 orbits of Earth and traveling more than 102 million miles. Williams and his crewmates were all smiles as they were extracted from the Soyuz capsule after the parachute-assisted landing. Following the touchdown, the trio was transported by helicopter to Karaganda, Kazakhstan, where recovery teams are based, and Williams was soon en route to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

As the spacecraft left the orbital lab, current ISS resident and NASA astronaut Anil Menon shared a video of its departure as seen from the station window. “Godspeed Soyuz MS-28 crew. Goodbye Chris - taking on a Padawan!” he posted.

Menon, who flew to the ISS with cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina under the MS-29 mission, has replaced Williams’s team to carry on station operations. Prior to the capsule’s undocking, Kud-Sverchkov handed over the station’s command to Crew-12 astronaut Jessica Meir, who also bid a heartfelt farewell to the MS-28 members. “A bittersweet day on the International Space Station, as we prepare to say goodbye to the Soyuz 74S crew. Expedition 74 has been full of science, technology demonstrations and station maintenance, and most importantly, enduring friendship and “huggles”. See you back on Earth my friends!” Meir posted.

NASA says that Williams supported numerous scientific investigations and technology demonstrations during his time aboard the station. “He helped advance research for new cancer treatments and improved in-space manufacturing of materials used in high-performance computers and electronics,” the agency's statement read. “Williams also completed two spacewalks to prep for space station power system upgrades and to replace a faulty joint on the Canadarm2 robotic arm. The crew’s work aboard the space station helps improve life on Earth and prepare for future human missions to the Moon and Mars.”

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