Soyuz MS-26 Crew with Cosmonauts Wagner and Ovchinin Returns to Earth

Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin, Ivan Wagner, and NASA astronaut Donald Pettit returned to Earth aboard the Soyuz MS-26 spacecraft, which landed in Kazakhstan. The cosmonauts' mission lasted from September 11, 2024.

At 00:57 Moscow time, the Soyuz MS-26 spacecraft left the International Space Station. At 03:27 Moscow time, the spacecraft's engine was turned on for braking and deorbiting. At 03:55 Moscow time, the spacecraft separated into compartments, and at 03:58 Moscow time, the descent module entered the dense layers of the atmosphere. At 04:06 Moscow time, the main parachute opened.

The spacecraft's descent module with the crew of the 72nd expedition returned to Earth at 04:20 Moscow time. Rescuers headed to the landing site, approximately 147 km southeast of the city of Zhezkazgan in Kazakhstan, who helped the cosmonauts get out of the descent module.

After landing, cosmonaut Ovchinin was given a painted Easter egg, which he peeled and ate.

The crew worked in space from September 11, 2024, to April 20, 2025. This flight was the second for Ivan Wagner, the third for Alexey Ovchinin, and the fourth for Donald Pettit. During the expedition, 43 experiments were carried out, including "Kinetics 2", "Monitor of the Whole Sky 2" and "BTN-Neutron-2".

As part of the 73rd long-term expedition to the ISS, Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexey Zubritsky and Sergey Ryzhikov, and NASA astronaut Johnny Kim are on board.

Read more materials on the topic:

Cosmonaut Wagner: Evacuation from Soyuz is like squats with a 50-kilogram barbell

With a sense of accomplishment: On April 20, the Soyuz MS-26 crew plans to return from the ISS to Earth

Preparation for the landing of Soyuz MS-26 has begun: three aircraft and eight helicopters will be on duty in the sky