NASA astronaut Jeff Williams, crewmates return to Earth

Image courtesy: NASA

Zee Media Bureau

New Delhi: NASA astronaut and Expedition 48 Commander Jeff Williams along with crewmates Alexey Ovchinin and Oleg Skripochka have returned to Earth safely after record-breaking mission aboard the International Space Station.

The Soyuz TMA-20M spacecraft landed with Expedition 48 crew members near the town of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan on Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2016 (Kazakh time). Williams, Ovchinin, and Skripochka are returning after 172 days in space where they served as members of the Expedition 47 and 48 crews onboard the International Space Station.

Williams now has spent 534 days in space, making him first on the all-time NASA astronaut list. Skripochka now has 331 days in space on two flights, while Ovchinin spent 172 days in space on his first.