NASA astronaut Jonny Kim and his crewmates have touched down on Earth after an eight-month science mission aboard the International Space Station. They landed safely on Tuesday following a parachute-assisted descent, southeast of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, at 4:03 p.m. AEDT. The trio departed the station at 12:41 p.m. AEDT on December 9 aboard Soyuz MS-27.
Over 245 days in orbit, the crew completed 3,920 orbits of Earth and traveled nearly 104 million miles. This was Kim’s and Zubritsky’s first spaceflight, while Ryzhikov marked his third journey, bringing his total time in space to 603 days.
While stationed aboard the ISS, Kim contributed to a broad range of scientific investigations and technology demonstrations. He studied bioprinted tissues containing blood vessels in microgravity, aiding advances in space-based tissue production that could eventually enhance medical treatments on Earth. He also tested remote operation of multiple robots for the Surface Avatar project, an effort that could inform the deployment of robotic assistants on future exploration missions. Additionally, Kim supported research into DNA-mimicking nanomaterials produced in space, a field with potential to improve drug delivery strategies and bolster regenerative medicine.
After routine post-landing medical checks, the crew moved to the recovery area in Karaganda, Kazakhstan. Kim is slated to fly on a NASA aircraft to the Johnson Space Center in Houston.
The International Space Station has hosted astronauts for over 25 years, enabling scientific discoveries that aren’t possible on Earth and helping NASA prepare for long-duration spaceflight. As private companies expand their presence in low Earth orbit, NASA is redirecting its focus toward deep-space exploration missions to the Moon under the Artemis program, laying groundwork for future crewed missions to Mars.
Image: The Soyuz MS-27 vehicle after landing near Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, with Expedition 73 astronaut Jonny Kim and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky aboard, December 9, 2025.
Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls
