Overview

• Donald Pettit, Alexei Ovchinin, and Ivan Vagner returned to Earth aboard Soyuz MS-26 after a 220-day mission on the ISS.
• The spacecraft undocked on April 19 at 18:57 EDT and landed safely in Kazakhstan on April 20 at 06:20 local time.
• During the mission, Pettit conducted research on 3D printing, wastewater treatment, plant growth, and fire management in microgravity.
• The landing marks Pettit's 70th birthday, making him the oldest active astronaut in history, as confirmed by NASA.
• This mission highlights continued US-Russia cooperation on the ISS, despite geopolitical tensions, with a new crew aboard until December.