NASA Astronaut Chris Williams Returns to Earth After 8-Month Mission

NASA astronaut Chris Williams, along with Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev, returned to Earth on Sunday after an eight-month mission aboard the International Space Station. The crew landed safely in Kazakhstan at 5:27 a.m. CDT (3:27 p.m. local time) southeast of Dzhezkazgan, following a parachute-assisted descent in the Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft. They had departed the station at 2:03 a.m. earlier that day.

The crew spent 241 days in space, completing 3,856 orbits and traveling over 102 million miles. This was the first spaceflight for Williams and Mikaev, and the second for Kud-Sverchkov. They launched to the station on November 27, 2025.

During the mission, Williams conducted scientific research and technology demonstrations, including work on new cancer treatments and improved in-space manufacturing for high-performance computers and electronics. He also performed two spacewalks: one to prepare for power system upgrades on the station and another to replace a faulty joint on the Canadarm2 robotic arm. Such research aims to improve life on Earth and support future missions to the Moon and Mars.

After landing, the crew underwent medical checks and will fly by helicopter to Karaganda, Kazakhstan, where recovery teams are based. Williams will then board a NASA aircraft to return to the Johnson Space Center in Houston.

The International Space Station has been continuously occupied for over 25 years, enabling research that is not possible on Earth. It helps NASA understand human spaceflight challenges, expand commercial opportunities in low Earth orbit, and prepare for long-duration missions under the Artemis program and to Mars.