Overview

• NASA astronaut Don Pettit and Russian cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner completed a 220-day mission aboard the ISS, conducting critical scientific research.
• The Soyuz MS-26 spacecraft undocked from the ISS at 5:57 p.m. EDT and is en route to a planned landing near Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, at 9:20 p.m. EDT.
• The crew's research included advancements in life support systems, genetic sequencing in microgravity, and pharmaceutical manufacturing with potential Earth and space benefits.
• Pettit, the oldest active NASA astronaut, marks his 70th birthday with this return, bringing his cumulative time in orbit to 590 days over four missions.
• Post-landing plans include helicopter transport to Karaganda, Kazakhstan, with Pettit returning to Houston and Ovchinin and Vagner heading to Star City, Russia.