Space Travelers Touch Down on Earth

In a thrilling moment, a Soyuz capsule carrying two Russian astronauts and an American space traveler safely landed on the Kazakh steppe, marking the end of a record-breaking 374-day stay for the Russian duo. Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub, who blasted off on September 15, 2023, had set a new benchmark for the longest continuous mission on the International Space Station (ISS). Joining them on the journey was American Tracy Dyson, who spent six months on the orbiting laboratory during her third mission into outer space. As the capsule detached from the ISS, it began its descent to Earth, a journey that took about 3 1/2 hours. The landing was smooth and trouble-free, bringing an end to the astronauts' remarkable adventure. Kononenko and Chub's extended stay on the ISS was a testament to their endurance and commitment to space exploration. The ISS has been home to eight astronauts, including Americans Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who had been scheduled to return to Earth earlier. However, due to issues with the Boeing Starliner capsule, NASA decided it was too risky to bring them back on that spacecraft. Instead, they will ride home with SpaceX next year.