NASA Astronaut Don Pettit, Cosmonauts Complete 220-Day ISS Mission

NASA astronaut Don Pettit, along with Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner, safely returned to Earth after a 220-day science mission aboard the International Space Station. The trio departed the ISS aboard Soyuz MS-26, landing southeast of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, on April 20, coinciding with Pettit's 70th birthday. During the mission, the crew completed 3,520 orbits and conducted research advancing metal 3D printing, water sanitization, plant growth, and fire behavior in microgravity, contributing to future space exploration. Pettit now has a career total of 590 days in space, while Ovchinin and Vagner have logged 595 and 416 days, respectively. After landing, the crew underwent standard medical checks before heading to their respective recovery centers, with Pettit returning to NASA's Johnson Space Center for rehabilitation. NASA officials report the crew is in good health following their return.