NASA's oldest astronaut Don Pettit returns to Earth, celebrates 70th birthday

NASA's oldest serving astronaut, Don Pettit, celebrated his 70th birthday by returning to Earth after a seven-month mission aboard the International Space Station. Pettit, alongside Russian cosmonauts Alexei Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner, landed in Kazakhstan after orbiting Earth 3,520 times and traveling more than 93 million miles. The mission, conducted in the Soyuz MS-26 capsule, focused on scientific research, including studies on fire behavior in microgravity, plant growth, and water purification technologies. Pettit's return marks his fourth spaceflight and brings his total time in orbit to over 18 months during his 29-year NASA career. Despite his age, Pettit is in good condition following the mission, though he is not the oldest person to have flown in space, as John Glenn holds that record at age 77. The landing underscores ongoing cooperation between U.S. and Russian space programs despite broader geopolitical tensions.