UPDATE: The countdown is on for three astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) as they prepare to undock on December 8, 2025, at 8:41 PM EDT. NASA astronaut Jonny Kim and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky are set to conclude their 245-day mission, returning to Earth just hours later, with a landing scheduled in Kazakhstan at 12:04 AM EDT on December 9.
This urgent update comes as the crew engages in critical blood research aimed at ensuring astronaut health during long-duration space missions. On Thursday, as preparations for their return ramped up, the crew focused on understanding how living in microgravity affects their cardiovascular systems.
The astronauts practiced vital operations necessary for their reentry into Earth’s atmosphere, a critical process as they prepare to feel the intense pull of gravity once again. Ryzhikov and Zubritsky tested a groundbreaking suit designed to mitigate fluid shifts that occur in space. This innovative gear aims to reduce head and eye pressure, potentially aiding astronauts in their adjustment back to Earth’s environment after extended missions.
Meanwhile, NASA Flight Engineers Zena Cardman and Chris Williams utilized the Ultrasound 2 device to scan their veins and monitor blood pressure, contributing invaluable data to the ongoing CIPHER study, which tracks astronaut health before, during, and after flights.
In another part of the station, veteran astronauts Mike Fincke and Kimiya Yui are mentoring Williams on station operations and hardware, ensuring he is fully briefed on the ISS systems. Williams arrived at the ISS on November 27 as part of a separate crew, which included Roscosmos Flight Engineers Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev. The team is conducting research on how microgravity impacts blood flow in extremities, using advanced medical equipment to assess their microcirculatory systems.
As the ISS team wraps up these essential experiments, Roscosmos Flight Engineer Oleg Platonov focused on inventorying supplies in the Russian segment of the station before shifting to life support maintenance tasks.
NASA will provide live coverage of the crew’s return, which will be available on NASA+, Amazon Prime, and the agency’s YouTube channel, allowing viewers to witness this pivotal moment in space exploration.
Stay tuned for more developments as the ISS crew heads back to Earth and continues to contribute to our understanding of human health in space. Follow updates on the ISS via their blog and social media channels.
