Astronaut Jonny Kim Returns to Earth After Historic Space Mission

NASA Astronaut Jonny Kim Safely Returns to Earth After 8-Month ISS Mission

NASA astronaut Jonny Kim has returned to Earth after completing an approximately eight-month science mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS), marking a successful conclusion to his first spaceflight.

Kim, along with Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky, touched down early Tuesday in a parachute-assisted landing near Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, after undocking from the orbiting laboratory late Monday night. The landing aboard the Soyuz MS-27 spacecraft occurred at about 12:03 a.m. EST (10:03 a.m. local time).

During the 245-day mission — equivalent to more than eight months in orbit — the crew completed 3,920 orbits of Earth, covering nearly 104 million miles while conducting scientific investigations and technology demonstrations that support life on Earth and prepare for future deep space exploration.

The mission formed part of Expeditions 72 and 73, during which Kim served as a flight engineer and contributed to research in areas including human physiology, robotics, and materials science. This long-duration stay aboard the ISS also helped NASA advance understanding of how the human body adapts to extended periods in microgravity.

For both Kim and Zubritsky, this mission marked their first spaceflight, while Ryzhikov completed his third, bringing his cumulative time in space to more than 600 days.

Following their return, the crew began routine medical checks as part of standard post-flight procedures to monitor their readaptation to Earth’s gravity. The successful landing also transitions the ISS to its next expedition phase with new crew members already aboard.

Kim’s return underscores continued international cooperation on the ISS and reinforces the station’s role as a key platform for scientific discovery and human spaceflight operations.