Soyuz MS-28 crew lands in Kazakhstan

he journey home began at 12:03 Astana time, when Soyuz MS‑28 undocked from the Rassvet module. At 14:32, the spacecraft fired its braking engines, slowing just enough to leave orbit and descend into the atmosphere. Before re‑entry, the ship separated into three sections: the orbital and service modules burned up, while the crew continued in the descent capsule.

At 15:27, the capsule landed in the Kazakh steppe, 147 kilometers southeast of Zhezkazgan. Recovery teams quickly reached the site, and the crew’s condition was reported as good.

Returning to Earth were commander Sergey Kud‑Sverchkov, Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Mikayev, and NASA astronaut Christopher Williams. It was the first spaceflight for Mikayev and Williams, and second flight for Kud‑Sverchkov. Notably, the commander was born in Leninsk, now Baikonur.

The mission began on November 27, 2025, when Soyuz MS‑28 blasted off from Baikonur and docked with the ISS the same day. The crew was in space for 241 days, orbiting the Earth 3,856 times, covering more than 164 million kilometers. Kud‑Sverchkov and Mikayev spent over six hours in spacewalks installing scientific equipment on the Zvezda module, while Williams joined two EVAs to help prepare the International Space Station for the installation of new solar arrays and assisted in repairing the robotic arm.

Before returning to Earth, Kud‑Sverchkov handed over command of the Russian segment to Pyotr Dubrov, who had arrived on July 14 aboard Soyuz MS‑29 together with Anna Kikina and Anil Menon.

After initial medical examinations, the crew will be brought by helicopter to Karaganda. Williams will then travel to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, while Kud‑Sverchkov and Mikayev will travel to Star City near Moscow.