NASA’s oldest active astronaut, Don Pettit, marked his 70th birthday in a most extraordinary way — descending to Earth after a seven-month mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
Pettit, alongside Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexei Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner, landed safely in Kazakhstan on Sunday. Their return coincided with Pettit’s milestone birthday, making the occasion even more memorable. The trio spent an impressive 220 days in orbit, circling the Earth 3,520 times and covering a staggering 93.3 million miles during their journey.
This marked Pettit’s fourth journey into space, extending his career total to over 18 months spent beyond Earth’s atmosphere across nearly three decades of service. Their Soyuz MS-26 spacecraft touched down in a remote steppe southeast of Dzhezkazgan at around 6:20 am local time, just three hours after undocking from the ISS. NASA captured the capsule’s dramatic descent, parachuting gracefully against a picturesque sunrise backdrop.
Following their landing, the astronauts were seen flashing thumbs-up signs as rescue teams carried them to a nearby inflatable medical tent. NASA reported that Pettit, despite appearing slightly fatigued, was in good health and his condition aligned with what is typically expected post-spaceflight. He is scheduled to travel to Karaganda before flying to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Texas for further evaluation and recovery.
Throughout their mission, the crew conducted vital research, focusing on advancements in water purification technologies, studying plant growth under different conditions, and observing fire behavior in microgravity environments — all critical areas that contribute to the future of long-duration space travel.
While Pettit’s return marks a successful conclusion to his mission, it also comes amid recent challenges faced by other astronauts. NASA recently dealt with an unexpected situation where astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams spent nine months aboard the ISS due to technical malfunctions with their intended return spacecraft.
Don Pettit’s dedication and remarkable career continue to inspire the global scientific community, proving that age is no barrier to exploring the final frontier.
