In a remarkable end to a record-setting mission, NASA’s oldest serving astronaut, Don Pettit, returned to Earth on his 70th birthday after spending 220 days aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The veteran astronaut, along with his Russian crewmates Alexei Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner, landed safely in Kazakhstan on Sunday morning.
The Soyuz capsule touched down at 6:20 am local time (0120 GMT) in a remote area southeast of Dzhezkazgan, marking the end of a journey that saw the trio orbit Earth 3,520 times and travel an astonishing 93.3 million miles. It was Pettit’s fourth spaceflight, capping off a career that has seen him log over 18 months in space during his 29 years with NASA.
As the capsule descended through the atmosphere, NASA’s cameras captured it parachuting to Earth against a stunning sunrise. Upon landing, the astronauts were carried out of the capsule and gave thumbs-up signs to rescuers. Pettit appeared slightly fatigued but in good health. NASA stated he was “doing well and in the range of what is expected following return to Earth.”
Following the landing, Pettit and his fellow astronauts were flown to the Kazakh city of Karaganda, after which Pettit boarded a NASA aircraft en route to the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.
During their mission aboard the ISS, the crew conducted extensive scientific research, exploring topics such as water sanitization, plant growth in space, and how fire behaves in microgravity environments. Their seven-month stay was just shy of the record set by NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who remained on the station for nine months due to technical issues with their return spacecraft.
While many 70-year-olds might envision a quiet celebration with cake and gifts, Pettit marked his milestone birthday while making history — hurtling back to Earth after months of groundbreaking work in orbit.
Sources By Agencies
