Source: cbsnews.com
Image content: The photo shows a long-exposure view of Earth at night from the International Space Station. City lights streak across the curved horizon, with a bright orange airglow band and the Milky Way visible in the starry background; parts of the station are seen at the top.
Summary
NASA astronaut Don Pettit marked his 70th birthday by returning to Earth with Russian crewmates Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner after 220 days aboard the International Space Station, landing in Kazakhstan via Soyuz MS-26. The trio completed extensive scientific work—ranging from metal 3D printing to water sanitization, plant growth studies, and fire behavior experiments—while supporting a complex crew rotation. Pettit now accumulates 590 days in space, underscoring the ISS’s long-running international collaboration amid aging-station challenges, including air leaks, funding and resupply pressures, and planning for a controlled deorbit around 2030.
Key Points
- Don Pettit, 70, returned with two cosmonauts after 220 days on ISS
- Crew conducted key experiments: metal 3D printing, water, plant, and fire studies
- Pettit’s total time in space reaches 590 days; Ovchinin 595, Vagner 416
- Landing occurred in Kazakhstan aboard Soyuz MS-26 amid complex crew rotations
- ISS faces aging challenges and requires a planned U.S. deorbit vehicle by ~2030