Jonny Kim, Two Russian Cosmonauts Land Safely in Kazakhstan; Kim Says “Love Is The Greatest Thing”

NASA astronaut Jonny Kim and Russian cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky landed safely on a Kazakhstan steppe Tuesday after departing the International Space Station. The crew returned to Earth aboard the Soyuz MS-27 spacecraft following an eight-month mission as part of Expedition 73.

Russian support personnel work around the Soyuz MS-27 spacecraft shortly after it landed in a remote area near the town of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, on Tuesday morning. NASA Photo by Bill Ingalls/UPI

The Soyuz capsule deployed parachutes and touched down at 10:03 a.m. local time. A joint NASA–Roscosmos recovery team met the crew, assisted them out of the capsule and performed medical checks. Mission commander Sergey Ryzhikov congratulated the team at the site:

"Congratulations on one more end of a Soyuz vehicle trip. Expedition 73, all tasks complete. The crew [members] are feeling great."

Expedition 73 NASA astronaut Jonny Kim, left, and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov, center, and Alexey Zubritsky are seen inside the Soyuz MS-27 spacecraft after it landed in Kazakhstan on Tuesday morning. NASA Photo by Bill Ingalls/UPI

Kim and Ryzhikov were reported in good condition after landing. Zubritsky was taken from the capsule to an inflatable medical tent for further evaluation and care; officials said his condition required additional assessment and did not immediately confirm whether he continued onward with the rest of the crew.

NASA astronaut Jonny Kim and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky underwent medical checkups upon landing in Kazakhstan on Tuesday morning after returning from the International Space Station. NASA Photo by Bill Ingalls/UPI

The trio undocked from the ISS Monday at 8:41 p.m. EST and made the roughly 3.5-hour descent back to Earth. In total, the crew spent about 245 days associated with the mission, completing 42 scientific experiments and traveling nearly 104 million miles while the station orbited Earth.

Russian support personnel work around the Soyuz MS-27 spacecraft shortly after it landed in a remote area near the town of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, on Tuesday morning. NASA Photo by Bill Ingalls/UPI

Reflecting on their time together after touchdown, Kim emphasized the personal bonds formed in orbit. He said,

"What I think I'm going to remember most is the bond that we shared together... After having spent eight months in space, I firmly believe that the greatest quality of an astronaut and a human is not technical competence or loyalty... It's love. Love is the greatest thing that an astronaut can have for each other and for the people that they work with and for our lovely planet."

Following medical screening at the landing site, a helicopter transported the crew to Karaganda, Kazakhstan, where they met with their respective NASA and Roscosmos recovery teams. From there, Kim began his return to Houston aboard a NASA aircraft, while Ryzhikov and Zubritsky were scheduled to be flown to the Roscosmos training center in Star City, Russia, pending Zubritsky's medical status.

Mission Highlights: Expedition 73 successfully completed dozens of scientific tasks across multiple disciplines, supported ongoing station operations, and reinforced international cooperation in low Earth orbit.