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NASA astronaut Chris Williams, along with Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev, returned to Earth on Sunday after completing an eight-month mission aboard the International Space Station. The crew landed at 5:27 a.m. CDT southeast of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, following a parachute-assisted descent. They departed the station at 2:03 a.m. aboard the Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft, marking the end of a 241-day journey that included 3,856 orbits and over 102 million miles traveled.

During their mission, Williams supported scientific research and technology demonstrations, including work on cancer treatments and advanced materials manufacturing for electronics. He also conducted two spacewalks to prepare for power system upgrades and repair a faulty joint on the Canadarm2 robotic arm. The crew’s contributions help advance human spaceflight capabilities and prepare for future missions to the Moon and Mars under NASA’s Artemis program.

The mission was the first spaceflight for Williams and Mikaev, while Kud-Sverchkov completed his second long-duration stay aboard the station. After landing, the crew underwent medical evaluations before being transported by helicopter to Karaganda, Kazakhstan, where recovery teams are stationed. Williams will then fly to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston for further debriefing and recovery.

The International Space Station has hosted continuous human presence for more than 25 years, serving as a platform for scientific discovery and technological innovation. NASA uses the station to study the effects of long-duration spaceflight, expand commercial activities in low Earth orbit, and develop solutions for future missions to the Moon and Mars.