In a monumental return to Earth, NASA's oldest active astronaut, Don Pettit, touched down on Saturday after an impressive 7-month mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The 70-year-old's post-landing appearance sparked concerns over his health, though NASA quickly reassured fans that he’s doing just fine.

Pettit, alongside Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner, left the ISS at 5:57 p.m. ET aboard a Soyuz spacecraft, triumphantly landing in Kazakhstan at 9:20 p.m. ET. As they descended near Dzhezkazgan, Pettit was whisked away for routine medical checks, prompting speculation among viewers of the live feed that he appeared particularly frail.

However, NASA quickly calmed those fears. They tweeted, “@Astro_Pettit is doing well and within the expected range post-landing.” In a prior interview, Pettit humorously elaborated on what to expect after returning to Earth: “This is a physiological thing... It takes me about 24 hours to feel like I’m a human being again.” He also joked about the less glamorous aspects of readjusting, noting he might “empty the contents of my stomach out the way it wasn’t meant to go.”

The trio launched to the ISS on September 11, 2024, spending 220 days conducting groundbreaking research and experiments in microgravity. When not busy exploring the cosmos, Pettit captivated his online followers with stunning views from space.

This latest mission marks Pettit’s fourth journey into space, adding to a remarkable total of 590 days spent in orbit. His first mission in 2002 aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour was initially expected to last two and a half months but extended to nearly six months due to the tragic Columbia shuttle disaster.

While Pettit has an illustrious history in space exploration, he’s not the oldest person to travel to space. That record belongs to 77-year-old John Glenn, who flew on the Space Shuttle Discovery in 1998. Meanwhile, Peggy Whitson became the oldest woman to orbit Earth in 2023 at age 63, further demonstrating that age is just a number in the quest for cosmic discovery.

Though Pettit's long stint in space contrasts sharply with Glenn's short mission, both men have contributed immensely to our understanding of the mysteries of space and aging. The pursuit of knowledge continues, and so does the spirit of adventure!