Rahul Somvanshi
NASA astronaut Don Pettit landed on Earth April 20, 2025, exactly on his 70th birthday. Pettit, America’s oldest active astronaut, touched down in Kazakhstan with Russian cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner after spending 220 days on the International Space Station (ISS).
The Soyuz MS-26 spacecraft carrying the three crew members made a parachute-assisted landing on Kazakhstan’s steppe at 6:20 AM local time (1:20 AM GMT). During their mission that began September 11, 2024, they orbited Earth 3,520 times and traveled 93.3 million miles.
“Its deorbiting and descent to Earth were normal,” Russia’s Roscosmos space agency confirmed.
This was Pettit’s fourth spaceflight, bringing his total time in space to 590 days. While he’s America’s oldest serving astronaut, John Glenn holds the record for oldest person in orbit, flying on a NASA mission in 1998 at age 77.
Pettit conducted important research aboard the ISS, working to improve metal 3D printing in space, develop better water cleaning systems, study how plants grow with different water amounts in zero gravity, and learn how fire behaves in space. These studies help prepare for future long-term space missions.
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Many people know Pettit for his amazing space photos. He captured green auroras and rare lightning flashes from space, sharing these images online. Fellow NASA astronaut Anne McClain, currently on the ISS, said Pettit’s departure marked the “end of an era,” praising his photography skills that showed Earth’s beauty to people worldwide.
Some observers worried about Pettit’s health when NASA’s live coverage stopped suddenly after he was removed from the capsule.
“The awesome Don Pettit, who turned 70 today, appeared less than fully well on extraction from the capsule – hopefully nothing serious,” astronomer Jonathan McDowell wrote online.
NASA quickly responded that Pettit was “doing well” and his condition was “in the range of what is expected” after returning from space. Most astronauts have trouble walking right after landing because muscles and bones weaken during long periods without gravity.
Before leaving the ISS, Pettit and his crew handed command to Japanese astronaut Takuya Onishi, who arrived in March 2025. After landing, the crew recovered in Karaganda, Kazakhstan, before Pettit flew to Houston while his Russian crewmates returned to Star City, Russia.
With four space missions now complete, Pettit continues showing what humans can achieve in space exploration, even at 70 years old.
