The 241-day journey from Kazakhstan's steppes to the stars
When NASA astronaut Chris Williams opened the hatch of the Soyuz MS-28, he wasn't just entering a spacecraft. He was beginning an eight-month odyssey through 3,856 orbits, part of a complex orbital dance involving international cooperation and the high-stakes physics of returning to Earth.
The mission of the Soyuz MS-2capce began with a launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. For NASA astronaut Chris Williams, the mission represented a significant milestone in a career that saw him selected as a candidate in 2021 and graduate with the 23rd astronaut class in 2024. Alongside Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev, Williams joined the International Space Station to participate in Expeditions 73 and 74.
The mechanics of the mission involve a precise sequence of docking and undocking maneuvers. While the initial hatch opening was scheduled for a Thursday morning, the conclusion of the mission required even more delicate timing. On July 26, 2026, the crew prepared to undock from the station's Rassvet module at 3:03 a.m. EDT. This departure marked the official start of Expedition 75, a transition of command that saw Sergey Kud-Sverchkov hand over orbital leadership to NASA astronaut Jessica Meir.
Returning to Earth is a feat of endurance and engineering. Over the course of their 241-day stay, the crew traveled more than 102 million miles. The descent involves a deorbit burn at 5:31 a.m. and a parachute-assisted landing at 6:25 a.m. on the Kazakh steppe, southeast of Dzhezkazgan. Following the landing, the recovery process moves from the orbital laboratory to the ground, with the crew traveling by helicopter to Karaganda, Kazakhstan, before dispersing to their respective training bases in Houston and Star City.
Source: NASA Astronaut Chris Williams Soyuz MS-28 Hatch Opening
