How Expedition 41 astronauts traveled 70 million miles to return home

Space · Published 9 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: After 165 days orbiting Earth, the Expedition 41 crew finally touched down in Kazakhstan. Their mission wasn't just about the journey, but a massive scientific undertaking that included record-breaking research hours and testing the very first 3-D printer ever sent into space.

On 10 November, Roscosmos Commander Max Suraev, NASA Flight Engineer Reid Wiseman, and ESA Flight Engineer Alexander Gerst finished their journey back to Earth. They landed in a Soyuz TMA-13M spacecraft near the town of Arkalyk, Kazakhstan, at 9:58 a.m. local time. This landing concluded a 165-day mission during which the trio traveled more than 70 million miles while orbiting the planet.

The expedition was defined by intense scientific productivity. In July, the crew set a milestone by completing 82 hours of research in a single week. Their work focused on diverse fields, including Earth remote sensing, advanced manufacturing, and the physiological effects of space on bone and muscle. They also installed RapidScat, a new instrument designed for monitoring Earth.

Beyond biology, the mission served as a critical test bed for future deep space travel. The crew received five supply ships, such as the European Automated Transfer Vehicle Georges Lemaitre—honouring the Belgian physicist known as the big-bang theory's father. This mission also saw the arrival of the first 3-D printer tested in space, a vital step toward creating on-demand machine shops for future long-duration missions.

The crew also performed several spacewalks to maintain the station. While Wiseman and Gerst repositioned a broken pump module and prepared the station for new hardware, Suraev performed a single spacewalk throughout the mission. These efforts support NASA and Roscosmos as they prepare for even longer stays, including one-year missions scheduled to begin in 2015.

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