Washington, December 9 (QNA) – NASA announced the return of American astronaut Jonny Kim, along with Russian cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky, on Tuesday, after spending eight months aboard the International Space Station as part of Expedition 73.

NASA stated that the landing took place in the snow-covered steppes of Kazakhstan, where the Soyuz MS-27 spacecraft touched down under a parachute supported by brake engines. The crew was then transported for initial medical checks and to ensure their well-being.

The agency noted that during their 245-day mission, the crew conducted hundreds of scientific experiments, participated in station maintenance, and oversaw the arrival and departure of unmanned cargo ships.

The crew is scheduled to be flown back to their respective bases later, with Kim flying to Houston, Texas, and Ryzhikov and Zubritsky returning to the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Russia.

It is worth noting that Expedition 73 ended with the crew's return, while Expedition 74 continues aboard the International Space Station with a new crew of American, Russian, and Japanese astronauts. (QNA)