NASA’s Oldest Astronaut Don Pettit Turned 70 While Hurtling Towards Earth After a Seven-Month Mission at ISS

Many astronauts throughout history have gone above and beyond for space exploration. One of them recently returned to Earth after spending 220 days in space. This individual's homecoming was extra special as he was celebrating his 70th birthday, according to The Guardian.  

Three astronauts returned to Earth on the 20th of April, one of whom was Don Pettit. At the age of 70, Petit is NASA's oldest serving astronaut. No other astronaut, currently older than him, is working with the space organization. Petit's first space expedition took place in 2003, according to NASA. After that, he went on three more missions in 2008, 2012, and September 11, 2024. In his last mission, he worked as a flight engineer for his crew and conducted several science experiments in the International Space Station.

The trio, which included two Russian cosmonauts, landed in Kazakhstan. Their return flight just took three hours, as they landed at 6.20 a.m. (0120 GMT). The capsule supposedly came parachuting down to Earth. Rescuers were already at the site to transfer the astronauts to an inflatable medical tent for any kind of assistance. NASA shared that Petit is doing well after returning to space, and his condition is typical of what is expected for a person who has come back from space.

Petit came back to Earth in a Soyuz capsule. He reportedly orbited the Earth 3,520 times in his 220 days in space. In total, the trio has completed a journey of around 93.3 miles in the world beyond. The plan is for all three astronauts to spend some time at the location to get used to the Earth environment, stated BBC. After that, Petit was scheduled to be flown to Houston in Texas. This was Petit's fourth mission in his decades-long career, and he has spent more than 18 months in space within his 29-year career.

Petit has been deemed the creator of the first patented discovery in space, called the Capillary Beverage, Space Cup, or Zero-G cup, according to CNN. This invention makes it easy to drink liquids in the absence of gravity. Petit created the object in ISS, and its prototype was made out of repurposed Mylar sheeting and Kapton tape, according to Rochester Institute of Technology. The invention follows the principle of capillary channel flow. The cup has a teardrop shape, which allows the fluid to move through narrow channels and then reach the rim for drinking.

Petit is also known for sharing stunning photos of space during his missions. He shares his captured footage and photos on social media platforms. Recently, he shared a video that featured green aurora in space. The green aurora appeared when ISS was undergoing altitude change during the docking of Soyuz MS-27.

Several people connected to Petit's social media get mesmerized by the astonishing views of space he brings to them. On being asked what is more beautiful, Earth or space, he did not have a firm answer, stated CNN. "Earth is amazingly beautiful when your feet are firmly planted on the ground, and it’s beautiful from space," Pettit said. "And it’s hard to say what is more beautiful. I think it’s because space is a unique opportunity we seek to focus on the beauty of being in orbit. If we had people living their whole life in orbit, when they come down to Earth, they would probably think that was the most beautiful perspective they’d ever seen."