Astronaut Jonny Kim safely returns from ISS, proclaims: 'Love is the greatest thing'
The Russian-American trio returned to Earth after completing their eight-month mission on the International Space Station.
NASA astronaut Jonny Kim is seen outside the Soyuz MS-27 spacecraft, with a gifted Matryoshka Doll, after he landed with Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov, and Alexey Zubritsky in a remote area near the town of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan on Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025. The trio returned to Earth after logging 245 days in space as a members of Expeditions 72 and 73 aboard the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
NASA astronaut Jonny Kim and Russian cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky safely touched down in Kazakhstan on Tuesday after departing the International Space Station.
The trio returned to Earth aboard the Soyuz MS-27 spacecraft after completing their eight-month mission on the ISS, according to Space.com.
"Congratulations on one more end of a Soyuz vehicle trip," mission commander Ryzhikov said upon landing. "Expedition 73, all tasks complete. The crew [members] are feeling great."
The spacecraft landed on a Kazakhstan steppe at 10:03 a.m. local time with the help of parachutes and was met by a joint NASA-Roscosmos team that helped them out of the space capsule and administered medical checks.
Kim and Ryzhikov were in good condition, but Zubritsky was taken from the capsule to an inflatable medical tent for further care.
The trio departed the ISS at 8:41 p.m. EST on Monday for the about 3.5-hour return voyage back to Earth.
The months-long mission created a bond that transcends national boundaries and loyalties, Kim said after landing.
"What I think I'm going to remember most is the bond that we shared together," he explained.
"After having spent eight months in space, I firmly believe that the greatest quality of an astronaut and a human is not technical competence or loyalty or any of the myriad of things that we like to ascribe to astronauts," Kim said. "It's love."
He said, "Love is the greatest thing that an astronaut can have for each other and for the people that they work with and for our lovely planet."
The trio completed 42 scientific missions while aboard the ISS for 245 days and traveled nearly 104 million miles while the space station orbited the Earth.
A helicopter carried them from the landing site to Karaganda, Kazakhstan, where they met with their respective NASA and Roscosmos recovery teams.
From there, Kim began his journey to Houston aboard a NASA aircraft, while Ryzhikov and Zubritsky were scheduled to be taken to the Roscosmos training base in Star City, Russia.
It was not reported if Zubritsky was able to continue the return trip after being taken to the emergency medical tent due to an unknown condition.
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