245-day space mission ends: Astronauts return to Earth in Kazakhstan

• Astronauts Jonny Kim (NASA), Sergey Ryzhikov, and Alexey Zubritsky (Russia) returned to Earth after a 245-day mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
• Their Soyuz MS-27 spacecraft successfully touched down in Kazakhstan early Tuesday morning, confirmed by recovery teams despite cloudy conditions.
• Recovery efforts involved helicopters and technicians assisting the crew, who were wrapped in blankets due to frigid temperatures.
• During their mission, the astronauts traveled nearly 104 million miles, completed 3,920 orbits, and conducted research, maintenance, and two spacewalks.
• This was the first space mission for Kim and Zubritsky, while Ryzhikov completed his third; they will now head to Houston and Star City, Russia, respectively.

Why It Matters: It affirms the safety and success of long-duration human space missions.