- Two Russian cosmonauts and a NASA astronaut have returned from the International Space Station.
- Their six-month journey was marked by scientific experiments and crossings with other crews of astronauts.
- Watch NASA footage of the Soyuz MS-17 spacecraft on Saturday.
- See more articles on the Insider business page.
A six-month trip aboard the International Space Station ended for two Russian cosmonauts and a NASA astronaut: the three crew members returned safely to Earth, in the clear sky, at almost 1:00 ET on Saturday morning.
The crew left for the space station on October 14, 2020, inside a Russian spacecraft called the Soyuz MS-17. Their landing marked the end of Expedition 64 or the 64th long-haul expedition to the ISS.
In total, the crew made about 2,960 Earth orbits.
The flight home took less than three and a half hours, with the spacecraft landing just outside Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan. NASA recorded images of the smooth descent of the crew (starting with about an hour and 14 minutes in the video below):
As soon as the crew landed, Russian search and rescue teams rushed to help them out. The crew commander, Russian cosmonaut Sergey Ryzhikov, was the first to leave the spacecraft, followed by the two flight engineers: NASA astronaut Kate Rubins and Russian cosmonaut Sergey Kud-Sverchkov.
From there, the crew underwent medical checks while sitting on the seats so that they could re-air with the Earth’s climate. They were also able to call friends and family.
Rubins is due to fly home to Houston, Texas. Ryzhikov and Kud-Sverchkov will return to their homes in Star City, Russia.
NASA crew member Kathleen Rubins poses for a photo on her return.
NASA / Bill Ingalls / Reuters
The departure of the Soyuz MS-17 will make way for new astronauts on the ISS
Expedition 64 scored the first time on board the ISS for Kud-Sverchkov, but the second time for Rubins and Ryzhikov.
Rubins, a microbiologist, became the first person to sequence DNA in space in 2016. She continued her DNA sequencing work during the latter mission, with the ultimate goal of helping astronauts diagnose space-based diseases. or identify microbes at the space station to see if you are having health problems.
Rubins also completed two spacewalks, grew radishes in orbit, and took photos of Hurricane Zeta as it approached Louisiana. In addition, she studied how gravitational changes affect cardiovascular cells – research that could provide clues about heart problems on Earth.
ISS crew after landing in front of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan.
NASA / Bill Ingalls / Reuters
Ryzhikov and Kud-Sverchkov also conducted hundreds of scientific experiments aboard the space station.
The crew also had a company: NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1 astronauts joined them in November and will remain until the end of April. This team consists of three NASA astronauts – Commander Mike Hopkins, pilot Victor Glover and mission specialist Shannon Walker – as well as Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Soichi Noguchi.
Walker is now the commander of Expedition 65 station, which began on Friday.
Another Russian spacecraft, the Soyuz MS-18, arrived on the ISS on April 9 with two Russian cosmonauts and a NASA astronaut on board.
NASA SpaceX Crew-2 will take off for the space station on Thursday, April 22, bringing the total number of people on board to 11. At most, the ISS detained 13 people simultaneously.