Soyuz MS-25 Returns to Earth with NASA Astronaut and Cosmonaut After Historic ISS Mission

 

After a remarkable journey, two Russian cosmonauts and a NASA astronaut have safely returned to Earth following an extended mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Soyuz MS-25 landed in Kazakhstan, concluding a historic mission for cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub, as well as NASA astronaut Tracy Caldwell Dyson.

Kononenko Surpasses Spaceflight Milestone

Oleg Kononenko has made history, becoming the first person to spend over 1,000 days in space, with his total time reaching an incredible 1,111 days across five missions. His latest mission with Chub spanned 374 days, marking the longest stay on the ISS to date. Kononenko's achievement shattered the previous record set by cosmonaut Gennady Padalka, who logged 878 days in space across multiple missions.

Chub and Dyson Complete Extended Missions

For Nikolai Chub, this was his first space mission, and it lasted a record-breaking 374 days. Tracy Caldwell Dyson completed 184 days in space, adding to her previous two spaceflights and bringing her total time in orbit close to matching Chub's single-mission duration.The return of the Soyuz MS-25 crew marked the conclusion of Expedition 71, as they undocked from the ISS early in the morning. The spacecraft successfully touched down southeast of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, after travelling over 78 million miles and completing nearly 3,000 orbits around Earth during its mission.

Kononenko's Legacy and Future Missions

The 60-year-old cosmonaut leaves behind an impressive legacy, having participated in 11 ISS expeditions and completed seven spacewalks. Both Kononenko and Chub will return to Star City in Russia, while Dyson will head back to Houston, Texas.

Meanwhile, Expedition 72 has officially begun, with a new crew set to arrive in the coming days on SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft, continuing the ongoing research and exploration aboard the ISS.