Soyuz Crew Leaves ISS After Completing Eight-Month Mission — NASA’s Jonny Kim Returns Home

A NASA astronaut and two Russian cosmonauts have officially left the International Space Station (ISS) after finishing an eight-month scientific mission. According to CBS News, the Soyuz MS-27/73S spacecraft undocked from the station at 8:41 p.m. ET, carrying commander Sergey Ryzhikov, flight engineer Alexey Zubritsky, and NASA astronaut Jonny Kim.

As the spacecraft pulled away, a Russian flight controller wished the team well, saying, “We wish you a soft landing and hope to see you on the ground very soon.”

The crew began its return toward Kazakhstan, where recovery teams were already positioned for landing support. Their descent includes a scheduled braking burn, atmospheric reentry, and a parachute-assisted touchdown. After landing, the astronauts will undergo routine medical checks before continuing to their home bases. Kim will fly to Houston, while Ryzhikov and Zubritsky will travel to Star City.

During their mission, the crew completed 3,920 orbits and traveled more than 104 million miles, supporting experiments and maintenance tasks across both the U.S. and Russian sections of the station. Ryzhikov and Zubritsky also performed two spacewalks to carry out external work.

Jonny Kim, a former Navy SEAL and Harvard-trained doctor, said what he will remember most is the emotional connection among the crew. “We always gave each other grace and had so much love for each other and everyone who supports us,” he said during a farewell event. Kim added that the greatest strength of astronauts is not just technical skill but compassion.

The new Soyuz team, which arrived on November 27 aboard Soyuz MS-28/74S, has taken over daily ISS operations. The orbiting laboratory is now being run by NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov.

The mission marked another successful rotation as the ISS continues long-duration work involving scientific research, space maintenance, and international cooperation.