NASA astronaut and two cosmonauts land in Kazakhstan after ISS mission
A Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft carrying NASA astronaut Chris Williams and Russian cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev undocked from the ISS on July 26 at 3:02 a.m. EDT. The crew landed on the Kazakh steppe approximately 3.5 hours later at 6:26 a.m. EDT. NASA broadcast the return live online.
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A U.S.-Russian crew will return to Earth from the International Space Station early Sunday morning (July 26), and you can watch their homecoming live.
A Soyuz spacecraft carrying NASA astronaut Chris Williams and Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev of the Russian space agency Roscosmos is scheduled to undock from the orbiting lab on Sunday at 3:02 a.m. EDT (0702 GMT).
The Soyuz, known as MS-28, will land on the steppe of Kazakhstan about 3.5 hours later, at 6:26 a.m. EDT (1026 GMT). You can watch these milestones here at Space.com, courtesy of NASA.
Russia's Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft is seen docked to the International Space Station shortly after its arrival on Nov. 27, 2026. (Image credit: NASA) The coverage starts today (July 25) at 9:40 a.m. EDT (1340 GMT) ahead of a change-of-command ceremony aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Kud‑Sverchkov will hand over the reins of the orbiting lab to NASA astronaut Jessica Meir , part of the transition from ISS Expedition 74 to Expedition 75 (which officially begins when Soyuz MS‑28 undocks). You can watch that live via NASA .
NASA will resume its webcast tonight at 11:10 p.m. EDT (0310 GMT on July 26) to cover crew farewells and the closing of the hatches between the ISS and Soyuz MS-28, which is expected at 11:30 p.m. EDT (0330 GMT).
Undocking coverage begins Sunday at 2:30 a.m. EDT (0630 GMT). The stream will pick up again at 5:15 a.m. EDT (0915 GMT) for deorbit and landing activities . Touchdown will occur southeast of the Kazakh city of Dzhezkazgan, according to NASA.
The Soyuz MS-28 crew pose on Nov. 26, 2025, a day before their launch. From left: Chris Williams of NASA and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev. (Image credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls) Soyuz MS-28 launched to the ISS on Nov. 27 , which was Thanksgiving Day. That liftoff kicked off the first space mission for Williams and Mikaev and the second for Kud‑Sverchkov.
When it's all said and done, the trio will have spent 241 days in space on their current flight. They will have orbited Earth 3,856 times and traveled a total of more than 102 million miles (164 million kilometers).
After touchdown, the three spaceflyers "will fly by helicopter to Karaganda, Kazakhstan, where recovery teams are based," NASA officials wrote in a media advisory. "Williams then will return to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, while Kud‑Sverchkov and Mikaev head back to their training base in Star City , Russia."
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