NASA's most senior astronaut returns to Earth with two cosmonauts

Astronaut Don Pettit and Crew Return to Earth After 220-Day ISS Mission

Veteran NASA astronaut Don Pettit, the agency’s oldest active astronaut, along with two Russian cosmonauts, concluded their 220-day mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS) with a return to Earth on the eve of Pettit’s 70th birthday. The trio embarked on a fiery descent to conclude their long-duration spaceflight.

Soyuz MS-26/72S commander Alexey Ovchinin, flight engineer Ivan Vagner, and NASA’s Pettit were scheduled to undock from the ISS at 5:57 p.m. EDT Saturday. Their Soyuz spacecraft was set to land on the steppes of Kazakhstan, near Dzhezkazgan, approximately three and a half hours later, at 9:20 p.m. EDT (6:20 a.m. Sunday local time, coinciding with Pettit’s birthday).

Recovery and Post-Flight Procedures

Recovery teams, including Russian and NASA personnel, were positioned in Kazakhstan to assist the returning astronauts after landing. Upon exiting the Soyuz descent module, the crew was to undergo initial medical evaluations and make satellite phone calls to connect with family and friends, commencing their readaptation to Earth’s gravity following seven months in a weightless environment.

Mission Duration and Spaceflight Records

The mission, upon successful landing, spanned 220 days and nearly nine hours, encompassing 3,520 orbits around Earth and a journey of 93.3 million miles since its launch from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on September 11th. This mission contributes significantly to the astronauts’ cumulative time in space. Alexey Ovchinin has now accumulated 595 days in space across four missions, closely followed by Don Pettit with 590 days, also over four flights. Ivan Vagner’s total spaceflight time reached 416 days after his two ISS expeditions.

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While these are impressive totals, the world record for cumulative time in space remains with cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko, who has spent nearly 1,111 days in orbit over five missions. Among U.S. astronauts, Peggy Whitson holds the record with 675 days in space over four flights.

Pettit’s Birthday Landing and Age in Space

Don Pettit’s return to Earth on his 70th birthday highlights the increasing presence of older astronauts in space exploration. John Glenn holds the record as the oldest person to journey into orbit; he was 77 when he flew on the space shuttle in 1988 as a spaceflight participant.

Following the landing in Kazakhstan, Ovchinin and Vagner will return to Star City near Moscow, while Pettit will be transported to the Johnson Space Center in Houston for thorough post-flight medical assessments and rehabilitation to readjust to terrestrial conditions.

Extended Crew Rotation on the ISS

Crew Exchanges Preceding Return

The return of Pettit, Ovchinin, and Vagner was part of a series of crew rotations. This sequence began with the arrival of SpaceX Crew 10 on March 14, which included:

• Commander Anne McClain (NASA)
• Nichole Ayers (NASA)
• Takuya Onishi (JAXA – Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency)
• Kirill Peskov (Roscosmos)

Crew 10’s arrival paved the way for the departure of Crew 9 just four days later, consisting of:

• Commander Nick Hague (NASA)
• Alexander Gorbunov (Roscosmos)
• Starliner Commander Barry “Butch” Wilmore (NASA)
• Pilot Sunita Williams (NASA)

Subsequently, a replacement crew for Pettit’s team launched on April 8:

• Soyuz Commander Sergey Ryzhikov (Roscosmos)
• Alexey Zubritsky (Roscosmos)
• Jonny Kim (NASA)

This latest crew exchange enabled Ovchinin, Vagner, and Pettit to finalize their mission and return to Earth.

Change of Command Ceremony

Prior to their departure, a brief handover ceremony took place where Alexey Ovchinin transferred command of the International Space Station to Takuya Onishi.

Onishi expressed his honor in assuming command, recalling his previous encounter with Ovchinin as fellow “rookies” during Expedition 48 in 2016. Now, they find themselves as veteran ISS commanders.

Onishi emphasized the demanding nature of human spaceflight, highlighting the continuous dedication across generations that has made space exploration possible. He noted the presence of four “rookie” astronauts currently on board, expressing confidence that they will, in time, become future ISS commanders, ensuring the ongoing advancement of human spaceflight.

Growing Concerns over ISS Future

Aging Infrastructure and Increasing Risks

The International Space Station, continuously crewed since October 31, 2000, faces increasing challenges as it approaches its scheduled retirement in five years. Issues range from air leaks in the Russian segment to uncertain funding, spare parts shortages, and delays in resupply missions.

Rich Williams, from the Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel, stated during a public meeting that the ISS is entering its “riskiest period of its existence.” He acknowledged the program’s operational excellence while highlighting the increasingly complex risks it faces.

Williams pointed out that “spaceflight is anything but easy” and the mounting risks in the ISS program exacerbate these difficulties.

Air Leaks in Zvezda Module

The air leaks identified in the Zvezda module’s aft docking compartment are believed to stem from metal fatigue and repeated pressure cycles caused by the frequent docking and undocking of Soyuz and Progress spacecraft.

According to Williams, mitigation strategies include applying patching materials to known cracks and limiting pressurization cycles to reduce stress. The ISS program is closely monitoring the situation, which the panel considers a top concern.

Deorbit Plans and Safety

To ensure safe disposal of the million-pound space station in 2030, NASA has contracted SpaceX to develop a U.S. Deorbit Vehicle (USDV). The USDV is intended to guide the ISS into a controlled atmospheric reentry over the southern Pacific Ocean, away from shipping lanes and populated areas, and is expected to arrive at the station in 2029.

Williams emphasized the criticality of the USDV for meeting public safety standards during deorbit. He warned that a deorbit before the USDV’s availability would significantly elevate the risk of debris impact in populated areas.

NASA and Russian space agencies are collaborating to address the challenges of a safe deorbit capability, both for planned decommissioning and contingency scenarios.

Budget Shortfall Concerns

A major concern identified by Williams is a “large ISS budget shortfall.” While NASA’s fiscal 2024 budget allocated nearly $1 billion for ISS operations and maintenance, and an additional $1.6 billion for crew and resupply missions, Williams stressed the need to maintain adequate funding until the station is safely deorbited.

He argued that sufficient resources are vital not only for daily operational safety in the high-risk environment but also for ensuring a controlled and safe deorbit within debris footprint requirements for public safety.

In conclusion, Williams acknowledged the ISS program’s operational excellence but reiterated the panel’s deep concern regarding the escalating and interconnected risks facing the program in the coming years.