The International Space Station’s Expedition 72 crew has completed their seven-month research assignment, and their spacecraft, Soyuz MS-26, has safely landed back on Earth. The spacecraft, carrying three astronauts – Alexey Ovchinin, Ivan Vagner, and Donald Pettit – successfully re-entered the atmosphere, making a parachute-assisted landing in Kazakhstan.
During their mission, which spanned 220 days, the crew completed over 3,500 orbits of the Earth and traveled an impressive 150 million kilometers. This was the third spaceflight for Ovchinin, the second for Vagner, and the fourth for Pettit, who also served as flight engineer during Expedition 71 and 72.
The trio conducted numerous scientific experiments onboard the ISS before handing over the reins to the new Expedition 73 crew, led by Japanese astronaut Takuya Onishi. The handover ceremony marked the end of Ovchinin’s third spaceflight, Vagner’s second, and Pettit’s fourth career stint in orbit.
Source: https://www.euronews.com/next/2025/04/20/soyuz-ms-26-spacecraft-carrying-expedition-72-crew-lands-in-kazakhstan