The long road home from 102 million miles in orbit

Space · Published 17 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Returning to Earth is more than just a landing; it is a choreographed transition of command and geography. After spending months in the vacuum of space, crews must navigate complex international logistics, moving from remote Kazakh steppes to training bases in Russia and flight paths back to the United States.

The return of Expedition 28 serves as a blueprint for the logistical complexity of international cooperation. On 16 September 2011, a reception occurred in Karaganda, Kazakhstan for Russian Flight Engineer Alexander Samokutyaev, NASA Flight Engineer Ron Garan, and Commander Andrey Borisenko after their six-month ISS mission. The process involves a distinct geographical split: while the Russian cosmonauts returned to their training base in Star City, the American astronaut boarded a plane for NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. The crew was greeted with a traditional ceremony at the airport. This specific landing occurred on the steppe of Kazakhstan. Garan participated in an interview before his flight home.

More recent missions, such as Expedition 74, highlight the staggering scale of these journeys. A 241-day voyage ended in July 2026 for the Soyuz MS-28 team, which featured Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergei Mikaev and Sergey Kud-Sverchkov alongside Chris Williams. During their time in orbit, they completed 3,856 revolutions around Earth, covering more than 102 million miles (164 million kilometers). This journey required precise timing, with the spacecraft undocking at 3:03 a.m. ET and landing just over three hours later. The Soyuz MS-28 launched on November 27, which fell on Thanksgiving Day. For Kud-Sverchkov, this was his second space mission. He has now logged a total of 426 days and 9 minutes in orbit.

The transition of power is equally structured. Before departure, a formal change-of-command ceremony occurs aboard the ISS. For instance, Kud-Sverchkov handed over leadership to NASA astronaut Jessica Meir as the station transitioned from Expedition 74 to Expedition 75. These procedures ensure that while the physical journey ends in a remote steppe via helicopter transport, the operational continuity of the orbiting laboratory remains seamless. The crew closed the hatches between the station and their craft on Saturday night. This occurred following the start of departure activities on Saturday morning.

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