Oldest Active US Astronaut Celebrates 70th Birthday with Earth Return

In a significant moment for space history, Don Pettit, the oldest actively serving US astronaut, returned to Earth on his 70th birthday following a 220-day mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

The Soyuz MS-26 capsule, which included Pettit and Russian cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner, successfully landed in Kazakhstan’s vast steppe at 06:20 local time (01:20 GMT) on Sunday. Throughout their time in orbit, the crew completed 3,520 orbits around Earth. Pettit's latest journey brings his total time spent in space to 590 days, anchored in four missions during his career. Despite this impressive feat, he does not hold the record for the oldest person to fly in space; that distinction belongs to John Glenn, who flew at age 77 in a NASA mission in 1998.

As they readjust to the pull of gravity, Pettit will be transported to Houston, Texas, while his Russian counterparts will return to their primary space training base in Zvyozdniy Gorodok, located near Moscow. In a ceremonial handover before leaving the ISS, they entrusted command of the spacecraft to Japanese astronaut Takuya Onishi.

In related space news, the return of Pettit and his team follows the recent journey of NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who faced delays in their return to Earth after an extended stay of more than nine months on the ISS. Initially scheduled for only a brief mission of eight days in June 2024, they finally made their return on March 18, 2023, affected by technical issues with their landing spacecraft.

Pettit's achievement highlights not only his personal milestones but also the ongoing collaborative efforts in space exploration between the United States and Russia, showcasing the enduring partnership that has characterized the operation of the ISS.