NASA's oldest serving astronaut (70) returns from ISS on birthday
What's the story
NASA's most senior active astronaut Don Pettit celebrated his 70th birthday in a unique way, by returning to Earth from a mission to the International Space Station (ISS).
Pettit, along with his Soyuz MS-26 crew members Aleksey Ovchinin (53) and Ivan Vagner (39), landed in Kazakhstan today at 6:20am local time.
The trio returned to Earth after spending seven months aboard the ISS.
Homecoming
Pettit reflects on the concept of 'home'
Born on April 20, 1955, in Silverton, Oregon, Pettit offered a thought-provoking perspective on the idea of 'home.'
He said that after spending seven months on the ISS and returning to Earth in their Soyuz spacecraft — landing on the steppes of Kazakhstan — he would feel at home even though he would be nearly 19,300km away from his actual home.
His reflections highlight how experiences shape our understanding of familiarity and belonging.
Descent details
Journey back to Earth
The return journey for Pettit, Ovchinin, and Vagner started when their Soyuz MS-26 spacecraft undocked from the ISS's Rassvet mini-research module.
After a deorbit burn and shedding its orbital and propulsion modules, only the gumdrop-shaped descent capsule was left to bring them home safely.
On landing on Earth, they were welcomed by Russian recovery teams as well as NASA medical personnel who helped them out of the capsule for quick checks.
Twitter Post
Take a look at Pettit's most recent post
Mother Earth, I am coming home. pic.twitter.com/lxxAQICzMJ
— Don Pettit (@astro_Pettit) April 19, 2025
Scientific achievements
Pettit's contributions to science during his mission
During his stay on the ISS, Pettit also performed some personal science demonstrations, such as drinking from a zero-g cup he designed on a previous visit to the station.
He also imaged thin ice wafers under polarized filters. Apart from these individual experiments, he also contributed a lot by performing hundreds of experiments and technology trials as part of Expedition 71/72 crew member.
Oversight responsibilities
Role in overseeing space missions
Pettit also played a key role in overseeing the departure of SpaceX's Crew-9 mission aboard the Dragon spacecraft "Freedom," and the arrival of Crew-10 on Dragon "Endurance."
He also supervised the departure of Cygnus "S.S. Francis R. 'Dick' Scobee" cargo ship.
His involvement in these operations highlights his significant contribution to managing and coordinating complex space missions during his time aboard the ISS.