Wed Sep 25 06:03:48 UTC 2024: ## Space Station Crew Returns After Record-Breaking Mission, Expedition 72 Begins
**Baikonur, Kazakhstan** – After a record-breaking 374 days aboard the International Space Station (ISS), two Russian cosmonauts and a NASA astronaut have safely returned to Earth. The Soyuz MS-25 spacecraft carrying cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub, and NASA astronaut Tracy Caldwell Dyson, landed in Kazakhstan early this morning, bringing Expedition 71 to a close.
The crew’s return marks a historic milestone, with Kononenko achieving the unprecedented feat of surpassing 1,000 days in space, reaching a total of 1,111 days across five missions. This achievement surpasses the previous record set by cosmonaut Gennady Padalka. Chub’s first space mission also set a record, lasting the full 374 days. Dyson’s mission concluded with 184 days in space, adding to her previous two missions and bringing her total time in orbit close to Chub’s single-mission duration.
The Soyuz MS-25 crew undocked from the ISS early this morning before embarking on its journey back to Earth, covering over 78 million miles and completing nearly 3,000 orbits during its mission.
Following their return, Kononenko and Chub will return to Star City, Russia, while Dyson will head back to Houston, Texas. Meanwhile, Expedition 72 has officially begun, with a new crew expected to arrive in the coming days aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft. The new crew will continue the vital research and exploration activities taking place aboard the ISS.
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