ISS Expedition 71/72

Mission Profile

Overview

Soyuz MS-26 reunited a veteran trio with the orbital laboratory: commander Alexei Ovchinin, flight engineer Ivan Vagner and NASA's Don Pettit, who at 69 was the agency's oldest active astronaut and still flying his fourth mission more than two decades after Expedition 6. Across Expeditions 71 and 72, Pettit became a phenomenon on Earth as much as in orbit, sharing breathtaking long-exposure astrophotography of star trails, auroras and city lights that drew millions of viewers. The crew supported a dense programme of microgravity research and Russian-segment maintenance while the station hosted an unusually crowded roster, including the Boeing Starliner crew whose stay was extended. After 220 days aloft, the Soyuz MS-26 crew landed on the Kazakh steppe on 20 April 2025 — Pettit's 70th birthday — closing a career arc that spanned the Columbia era to the commercial-crew age.

Crew

Key Milestones

1. 2024-09-11

   Soyuz MS-26 launches from Baikonur carrying Ovchinin, Vagner and Pettit

2. 2024-09-23

   Expedition 72 formally begins following the departure of Soyuz MS-25

3. 2025-03-07

   Alexei Ovchinin assumes command of Expedition 72

4. 2025-04-20

   Soyuz MS-26 lands in Kazakhstan after 220 days, on Don Pettit's 70th birthday

Key Achievements

• Don Pettit became NASA's oldest active astronaut on his fourth flight, landing on his 70th birthday

• Crew logged 220 days in orbit across Expeditions 71 and 72

• Pettit's celebrated orbital astrophotography reached a global audience

Related Missions

Sources

1. Wikipedia: Soyuz MS-26
2. NASA: Soyuz MS-26 crew joins Expedition 71
3. NASASpaceflight: Soyuz MS-26 launch