How the Expedition 38 crew returned safely to Earth after months in orbit

Space · Published 11 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: After 166 days orbiting the planet, the Expedition 38 crew successfully touched down in Kazakhstan. Beyond the physical journey home, their mission involved complex scientific research, from studying aging treatments to testing advanced data transmission methods, pushing the boundaries of what humans can achieve in microgravity.

The return of Expedition 38 marked the conclusion of a significant period of scientific inquiry aboard the International Space Station. On March 11 local time, Russian Federal Space Agency Commander Oleg Kotov, plus Roscosmos Flight Engineers Sergey Ryazanskiy and Michael Hopkins, touched down securely in Kazakhstan. This homecoming followed a launch in September, during which the trio spent a total of 166 days in space. This successful landing occurred after the crew members bid farewell to the members of Expedition 39. The crew's journey began when they launched in September.

While the return journey is the most visible aspect of such missions, the scientific output of Expedition 38 was diverse. The crew engaged in research focused on human biology, specifically investigating disease and aging treatments. They also utilized laser technology to analyze gases present on the station, and conducted experiments to test the efficiency of beaming large quantities of data back to Earth. These experiments helped advance human research and space physics. The crew's work expanded the scope of microgravity science.

The mission's complexity was further highlighted by rigorous maintenance and exploration tasks. Throughout the mission, crew members performed several spacewalks to maintain the station. For instance, on January 27, 2014, Oleg Kotov and Sergei Ryazanskiy conducted a spacewalk lasting 6 hours and 8 minutes. Such activities are essential for the continued operation of the station and the success of the microgravity science conducted by the crew. The crew also captured numerous images of Earth and the orbiting station. These visual records document their daily lives and various experiments.

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