Russian Soyuz MS-28 capsule lands in Kazakhstan steppe after ISS mission

Russia's Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft has landed on schedule in the steppe near Jezkazgan, Kazakhstan, returning its three-person crew from the International Space Station. Roscosmos said the capsule reached the designated landing site and that the descent was broadcast live. The crew consisted of Russian cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergey Mikayev, along with U.S. astronaut Christopher Williams. Before undocking, the three transferred into the Soyuz MS-28 and closed the hatches between the station and the capsule. The crew had launched on November 27, 2025, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome aboard a Soyuz-2.1a rocket, which placed the spacecraft into Earth orbit 8 minutes and 49 seconds after liftoff. The return trip followed a short two-orbit trajectory before reentry into the atmosphere.