NASA's Oldest Active Astronaut Donald Pettit Lands on 70th Birthday with Crewmates

NASA astronaut Donald Pettit made history by landing on Earth from the International Space Station (ISS) on his 70th birthday, alongside Russian cosmonauts Aleksey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner.

Donald Pettit’s Historic Return to Earth

Donald Pettit, the oldest active NASA astronaut, celebrated his 70th birthday in extraordinary fashion by returning to Earth after a seven-month mission aboard the ISS. Pettit, Ovchinin, and Vagner completed their journey aboard the Soyuz MS-26, which launched on September 11, 2024, and landed successfully in the steppes of Kazakhstan at 6:20 AM local time on April 20, 2025.

This remarkable milestone marks Pettit’s fourth spaceflight, totaling an impressive 590 days spent in space across his career. Throughout their latest mission, the trio orbited Earth 3,520 times, covering an astonishing 93.3 million miles.

A Legacy of Excellence and Innovation

Pettit’s career has been a source of inspiration for aspiring astronauts and space enthusiasts alike. Known for his contributions to space photography and microgravity science, Pettit has innovated ways to drink coffee in space with the invention of “g-cups” and pioneered the use of polarized photography aboard the ISS.

He also played a pivotal role in overseeing critical operations, including the departure of SpaceX’s Crew-9 and Crew-10 missions, and managing Cygnus cargo ship operations. Fellow NASA astronaut Nichole Ayers paid tribute to Pettit on social media, calling his departure a “bittersweet moment” after an inspiring mission.

Soyuz MS-26: A Mission of Endurance and Discovery

The Soyuz MS-26 spacecraft facilitated a long-duration mission aimed at advancing research in biology, physics, and materials science under microgravity conditions. It remained docked at the ISS as an emergency evacuation vehicle for up to 220 days before returning Pettit and his crew safely back to Earth.

While Pettit, Ovchinin, and Vagner are now back on the ground, astronauts Anne McClain, Nichole Ayers, Jonny Kim, along with JAXA’s Takuya Onishi, Sergey Ryzhikov, and Alexey Zubritsky continue their mission aboard the ISS as part of Expedition 73.

Donald Pettit’s career stands as a testament to resilience, innovation, and dedication to the advancement of space exploration.