Astronaut Celebrates 70th Birthday Returning to Earth
News Desk
Islamabad: While many might mark their 70th birthday with cake, presents, and a quiet celebration at home, veteran NASA astronaut Don Pettit spent his milestone in a truly extraordinary way—returning to Earth aboard a spacecraft.
Pettit, along with Russian cosmonauts Alexei Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner, landed in Kazakhstan on Sunday inside a Soyuz capsule, coinciding with Pettit’s 70th birthday. The trio had just completed a seven-month mission on the International Space Station (ISS), spending 220 days in orbit. During that time, they circled the Earth 3,520 times and traveled a staggering 93.3 million miles.
Reflecting on the experience, Pettit shared from NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Texas, “This birthday felt like no other. I could not have imagined spending it any closer to the stars.”
The spacecraft undocked from the ISS about three hours before its landing at 6:20 a.m. local time (0120 GMT) in a remote area southeast of Dzhezkazgan. It marked Pettit’s fourth mission to space in a career spanning 29 years, during which he has logged more than 18 months in orbit.
NASA released striking images of the capsule descending beneath parachutes, silhouetted against a golden sunrise. After touching down, the astronauts were seen giving thumbs up as recovery teams assisted them to a nearby inflatable medical tent. Though visibly tired, Pettit was reported to be in good health and within expected conditions following reentry.
Following initial medical checks, Pettit was set to travel to the city of Karaganda before flying back to the Johnson Space Center in Texas aboard a NASA aircraft.
During their time on the ISS, the crew carried out a range of scientific research, including experiments on fire behavior in microgravity, advancements in water purification technology, and plant growth under varying environmental factors.
Their mission’s duration nearly equaled the nine-month stay of fellow NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who remained onboard the ISS due to issues with their return vehicle.
