NASA's Jonny Kim returns to Earth after 245 days in space

NASA astronaut Jonny Kim returned to Earth on December 9, 2025, after spending nearly eight months in space. His Soyuz capsule touched down at 10:03 AM local time near Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, marking the end of his first mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Kim’s journey began as part of Expeditions 72 and 73, where he spent roughly 245 days in orbit. He was the second-to-last astronaut from his NASA class, nicknamed 'The Turtles', to fly to space.

The descent went smoothly, with Kim landing alongside two Roscosmos cosmonauts. All three crew members were reported in good health after the landing. Upon his return, Kim received a traditional matryoshka doll as a welcome gesture. Before heading back to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, he will undergo standard post-landing medical checks. The mission’s return follows recent complications at Kazakhstan’s launch site, where a Soyuz launch caused damage to infrastructure, affecting future mission schedules.

Kim’s return concludes his first spaceflight, adding to NASA’s ongoing research aboard the ISS. His mission contributes to long-duration space studies, while the damaged launch infrastructure in Kazakhstan may delay upcoming flights. He will now rejoin training and debriefing activities in Houston.