NASA astronaut lands safely back on Earth after 8 months aboard the International Space Station

Astronaut Chris Williams supported a wide range of scientific investigations and technology demonstrations, which included research into new cancer treatments.

By Kevin Killough

Published: July 27, 2026 2:14pm

NASA astronaut Chris Williams returned home on Sunday following an eight-month science mission aboard the International Space Station.

Williams was accompanied by two Roscosmos cosmonauts, Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev. Their capsule made a parachute-assisted landing in Kazakhstan around 6:30 a.m. ET after departing the space station at 3 a.m.

The crew was in space for 241 days and orbited the Earth nearly 4,000 times. Altogether, they traveled more than 102 million miles, according to NASA.

Williams supported a wide range of scientific investigations and technology demonstrations, helping to research new cancer treatments and improved in-space manufacturing of materials used in high-performance computers and electronics. He completed two spacewalks to prepare for power systems upgrades to the ISS and to replace a faulty robotic arm.