The 70th birthday of the astronaut will feature a roller coaster ride in space.

      NASA astronaut Don Pettit shares insights on his photography taken from the ISS.

      After spending slightly over seven months in space, Don Pettit, NASA’s longest-serving astronaut, is set to return to Earth.

      Pettit will make the journey home with Russian cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner, using the Soyuz MS-26 spacecraft. Their departure from the International Space Station (ISS) is scheduled for Saturday, April 19.

      According to NASA, “Pettit, Ovchinin, and Vagner will undock from the Rassvet module of the orbiting laboratory at 5:57 p.m. ET, aiming for a parachute-assisted touchdown at 9:20 p.m. (6:20 a.m. Kazakhstan time, Sunday, April 20) on the steppe of Kazakhstan, southeast of Dzhezkazgan.” Notably, this landing will coincide with Pettit’s 70th birthday.

      Throughout their 220 days in space, Pettit, Ovchinin, and Vagner will have completed 3,520 orbits around the Earth, covering an impressive distance of 93.3 million miles.

      The return journey will be adventurous for Pettit, who has traveled to space four times since his initial mission in 2002. The Soyuz spacecraft will hit speeds of up to 17,400 mph (28,000 kph) as it descends into Earth’s atmosphere, then decelerate significantly for the parachute-assisted landing. The experience will be tumultuous, featuring intense G-forces and jarring movements, culminating in the sudden impact of landing.

      Once they are back on Earth, the trio will take a helicopter from the landing site to the recovery city of Karaganda, still in Kazakhstan. Pettit will then board a NASA aircraft for a flight to Houston, while Ovchinin and Vagner will head to a training base in Star City, Russia.

      Their departure from the ISS will be streamed live on NASA’s website, and the concluding moments of their descent and landing in Kazakhstan will be broadcast around three and a half hours later.

      Pettit has captivated audiences on Earth with his remarkable photography during his seven-month mission, featuring stunning images of star trails, auroras, rocket launches, returning spacecraft, and various locations on Earth, among others.

      Not long ago, Trevor transitioned from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan).

      SpaceX provides a backup ride for a Soyuz astronaut in case of an ISS emergency.

      In December, Russia’s Soyuz spacecraft sustained damage at the International Space Station (ISS) due to a leak that resulted in a significant coolant loss. Following an investigation, NASA and its Russian counterpart, Roscosmos, opted to send a replacement Soyuz spacecraft on February 20.

      Explore these incredible images captured by NASA’s oldest active astronaut.

      At 67, Don Pettit is recognized as NASA’s oldest active astronaut. Across three trips to the International Space Station (ISS) in 2002, 2008, and 2011, he earned acclaim as a talented photographer, producing exceptional images of the ISS, Earth, and outer space. Pettit identifies as “an engineer by training, a scientist by profession, and an explorer at heart,” and he continues to post his amazing photos on Twitter and Instagram, delighting his numerous followers.

      Learn how to watch the speedy voyage of NASA astronaut to the ISS this Wednesday.

      NASA Live: Official Stream of NASA TV

      American astronaut Frank Rubio will travel to the International Space Station (ISS) on Wednesday in a swift journey that will last just three and a half hours.