A Russian space capsule successfully undocked from the International Space Station on Monday, marking the end of a significant mission for three astronauts. The capsule carried two Russian cosmonauts, who had spent a record-long stay on the orbiting laboratory, along with an American astronaut.
The trio, consisting of Russians Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub, and American Tracy Dyson, is expected to land in the vast Kazakhstan steppe approximately 3 1/2 hours after the undocking. Kononenko and Chub embarked on their journey to the space station on September 15, 2023, and recently achieved the milestone of the longest continuous mission on the ISS. Dyson, a seasoned astronaut with three missions to outer space under her belt, spent a commendable six months aboard the station.
Despite their departure, the space station continues to host eight astronauts, including Americans Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who have exceeded their scheduled return date. The duo arrived in June as part of the first crew of Boeing's new Starliner capsule. However, their return was postponed due to technical issues encountered during their mission, such as thruster troubles and helium leaks. As a precautionary measure, the U.S. space agency NASA deemed it unsafe to bring them back on the Starliner.
Looking ahead, Wilmore and Williams are slated to return to Earth with SpaceX next year, ensuring a safe journey back home after their extended stay aboard the International Space Station.
