A NASA astronaut and two Russian cosmonauts successfully returned to Earth after an eight-month mission aboard the International Space Station. The crew undocked from the station in their Soyuz ferry on Monday evening and made a precise landing on the icy steppes of Kazakhstan early Tuesday morning.
Commanded by Sergey Ryzhikov, the Soyuz MS-27/73S spacecraft undocked from the space station at 8:41 p.m. ET. With Ryzhikov in the central seat, he was flanked by cosmonaut Alexey Zubritsky on one side and NASA’s Jonny Kim on the other.
After separating safely from the space station, the Soyuz executed a four-minute and 42-second braking burn starting at 11:09 p.m. This maneuver reduced the spacecraft’s speed from 17,100 mph by approximately 286 mph, allowing it to enter Earth’s atmosphere.
Enduring temperatures reaching 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit during re-entry, the Soyuz descent module deployed its parachute and landed at 12:03 a.m. EST Tuesday (0503 UTC, 10:03 a.m. local time in Kazakhstan), ultimately tipping over onto its side.
In the frigid conditions, Russian recovery teams and NASA personnel quickly reached the scorched capsule. They opened the hatch and assisted the crew as they began to acclimate back to Earth’s gravity.
Shortly after being extracted, Jonny Kim took a moment to rest in a nearby recliner, a customary practice for returning crew members. He appeared to be in good health and high spirits, expressing gratitude to the recovery team as they presented him with a unique matryoshka doll featuring his likeness on the outer shell.
Following initial medical evaluations in a heated tent, the crew was scheduled to be flown by helicopter to Dzhezkazgan, where Kim would transfer to a NASA jet for his return to the Johnson Space Center in Houston. Meanwhile, Ryzhikov and Zubritsky were set to go to Star City near Moscow for debriefings and family reunions.
Left behind at the space station were NASA Crew 11 members Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui, and cosmonaut Oleg Platonov. The incoming crew aboard Soyuz MS-28/74S includes commander Sergey Kud-Sverchkov, flight engineer Sergei Mikaev, and NASA astronaut Christopher Williams, who arrived on November 27 to take over for Ryzhikov, Zubritsky, and Kim.
During a change-of-command ceremony, Kim reflected on his time in space, emphasizing the significance of the bonds formed. “I believe that the greatest quality of an astronaut, and a human, is love,” he stated. “We always gave each other grace and had so much love for each other and everyone who supports us. I think that is what makes space exploration possible.”
Throughout their mission, Kim and his colleagues traveled an astounding 104 million miles, completing 3,920 orbits around Earth. While Kim concentrated on research and maintenance within the U.S. segment of the station, Ryzhikov and Zubritsky performed two spacewalks.
Jonny Kim, the child of South Korean immigrants and a father of three, boasts an impressive background as a former Navy SEAL, combat veteran, and graduate of Harvard Medical School. In a pre-launch interview, he shared his struggle with burnout from combat experiences and his desire to continue serving through medicine. He expressed the importance of being viewed as a capable physician rather than solely as a former SEAL.
