U.S.–Russian Soyuz Crew Returns Safely After 241-Day ISS Mission

On July 26, 2026, NASA astronaut Chris Williams and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergei Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev touched down in the steppes of Kazakhstan. The Soyuz MS-28 descended by parachute in a designated landing zone southeast of Dzhezkazgan, after an eight-month stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Both CNN and the New York Post reported that the crew was recovered by helicopter, flown to Karaganda, and then transferred to onward transport—Williams to Johnson Space Center in Houston, and the Russian cosmonauts to their training base in Star City near Moscow.

New York PostCNN

Since the Cold-War rivalry, the United States and Russia have maintained a continuous partnership on the ISS, despite geopolitical tensions following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The two nations continue to launch crews on each other’s spacecraft, a practice that has persisted through recent diplomatic strains.

CNN

• July 14 – A fresh expedition arrived at the ISS, comprising NASA astronaut Anil Menon and Roscosmos cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina, after launching from the Russia-leased Baikonur Cosmodrome.

CNN

• July 26, 2026 – The Soyuz MS-28 crew of Williams, Kud-Sverchkov, and Mikaev completed a 241-day orbital stint and landed safely in Kazakhstan (CNN; New York Post).

New York Post

The three-person crew logged 241 days aboard the ISS, marking the first spaceflight for both Williams and Mikaev and the second for Kud-Sverchkov. Their mission was part of Expedition 75, which also includes NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrei Fedyaev.

CNN

The successful return underscores the durability of the U.S.–Russia partnership in low-Earth orbit, demonstrating that joint operations can continue even when broader bilateral relations are strained. The seamless handover of crew members and the routine use of Baikonur for launches reinforce the ISS’s role as a platform for sustained scientific cooperation across geopolitical divides.

CNN