International Space Station Expedition 74 Team Safely Returns to Earth After Successful Mission

The international crew of the International Space Station (ISS), tasked with conducting Expedition 74, successfully departed the orbiting laboratory on board the Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft on March 26. The team's return to Earth, landing safely on a Kazakhstani grassland, marked the end of a lengthy mission that lasted for several months and served as a significant milestone in international cooperation in space.

The long-duration mission began on December 9, 2025, when the Soyuz MS-27 spacecraft returned to Earth, with NASA astronaut Michael Fincke taking over as commander of the ISS. Over the course of several months, a crew of astronauts from the United States, Russia, and the European Space Agency (ESA) lived and worked together, carrying out a range of scientific experiments and ISS maintenance tasks.

During the several-month Expedition 74 mission, the crew conducted a range of scientific research in microgravity, covering topics such as biology, human physiology, physics, and materials science. The experiments not only contributed to a deeper understanding of fundamental science but also provided valuable data for future deep space exploration, lunar, and Mars missions. In addition to scientific research, the crew also worked to maintain, repair, and upgrade the increasingly complex systems of the aging ISS, ensuring its continued operation as the only permanent human presence in low Earth orbit.

The ISS has served as a rare example of cooperation in the post-Cold War era, with NASA, Russia's Roscosmos, and the ESA collaborating on the project for decades. Despite heightened tensions in the region, the partnership between the United States and Russia in space has remained professional and enduring. The successful conclusion of Expedition 74 is a testament to the resilience of scientific diplomacy and international space infrastructure.

For Taiwan, the progress made in ISS missions and the accumulation of low Earth orbit scientific research reflect the expanding technical boundaries of the global space economy, with applications in satellite communication, precision manufacturing, and biomedical materials. As Taiwan actively develops space technology and pushes for self-sufficiency in low-orbit satellite communication, the international community's experience in long-duration space missions, microgravity experiment data, and ISS system maintenance is an important reference point for the Taiwanese academic and industrial communities in connecting to the global space supply chain, evaluating extreme environment materials, and researching physiological adaptation research.