NASA Astronaut, Two Russian Cosmonauts Return from ISS After 241 Days
The Soyuz MS-28 crew touched down in Kazakhstan on Sunday, marking the end of Expedition 74 and the continuation of US-Russian space cooperation.
A three-person crew representing NASA and Roscosmos returned safely to Earth Sunday morning, concluding a 241-day mission aboard the International Space Station that underscored the enduring partnership between the United States and Russia in low Earth orbit.
The Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft, carrying NASA astronaut Chris Williams and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev, undocked from the station's Rassvet module at 3:02 a.m. EDT on July 26, 2026. After a three-hour and 24-minute descent, the capsule touched down at 6:27 a.m. EDT (10:27 GMT) in the Kazakhstan steppe, southeast of Dzhezkazgan.
First Flights for Two Crew Members
The mission marked the first spaceflight for both Williams and Mikaev. Kud-Sverchkov completed his second orbital mission, having previously served aboard the ISS. The crew launched aboard Soyuz MS-28 (designated 74S by NASA) and spent roughly eight months conducting scientific research and station maintenance.
The successful landing demonstrates the continued operational reliability of Russia's Soyuz spacecraft, which remains a critical component of crew transportation to and from the ISS despite ongoing geopolitical tensions between Washington and Moscow.
Expedition 75 Underway
Williams, Kud-Sverchkov and Mikaev's departure coincided with the transition from Expedition 74 to Expedition 75. A replacement crew arrived at the station on July 14 aboard Soyuz MS-29, including NASA astronaut Anil Menon and cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina. The overlapping presence ensured continuous human occupancy of the orbital laboratory.
The handover reflects the carefully choreographed crew rotation schedule that has maintained an uninterrupted human presence aboard the ISS for more than two decades. The station continues to serve as a platform for international scientific research, with experiments spanning biology, physics, Earth observation and technology demonstration.
Cooperation Continues Despite Tensions
The mission highlights the operational interdependence between NASA and Roscosmos. American astronauts regularly fly aboard Russian Soyuz vehicles, while Russian cosmonauts have flown on American commercial spacecraft. This cross-dependency ensures both partners maintain access to the station regardless of political developments on the ground.
The return of the Soyuz MS-28 crew closes one chapter of ISS operations while the station enters its next phase with Expedition 75. Plans for the orbital outpost's future remain under discussion, with NASA and international partners evaluating operations through the end of the decade as commercial space stations begin development.