NASA Astronaut Don Pettit Returns to Earth on 70th Birthday

America's oldest serving astronaut, Don Pettit, has returned to Earth on his 70th birthday after spending 220 days on the International Space Station. Pettit, who has now spent a total of 590 days in space during his four missions, landed in Kazakhstan alongside his Russian crewmates Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner. The crew will now readjust to gravity before Pettit is flown to Houston and his Russian colleagues return to their training base near Moscow.

NASA astronaut Don Pettit and cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner returned to Earth on Saturday after a 220-day stay on the International Space Station, landing in Kazakhstan on Pettit's 70th birthday. Pettit, the oldest active-duty NASA astronaut, appeared disoriented after landing, but there were no indications of any major medical issues. The crew's return marked the end of an extended crew rotation that began with the arrival of SpaceX Crew 10 in March. Pettit has now spent 590 days in space over four flights, while Ovchinin has logged 595 days over four flights. The ISS is facing several challenges, including air leaks, budget shortfalls, and uncertain funding, with NASA planning to deorbit the station in 2030 using a U.S. deorbit vehicle.

NASA astronaut Donald Pettit, America's oldest serving astronaut, returned to Earth on his 70th birthday after a seven-month mission to the International Space Station with Russian cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner. The Soyuz MS-26 spacecraft landed in Kazakhstan on Sunday, having orbited the Earth 3,520 times. During their 220-day mission, the crew conducted various scientific research, including metal 3D printing, water sanitization, and plant growth in microgravity.