WASHINGTON, D.C. (FNN) — NASA astronaut Jonny Kim returned to Earth early Tuesday alongside Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky, concluding an eight-month science mission aboard the International Space Station focused on advancing life on Earth and preparing for future deep space exploration.

The trio landed safely under parachute at 12:03 a.m. EST (10:03 a.m. local time) southeast of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, aboard the Soyuz MS-27 spacecraft. Their departure from the station occurred at 8:41 p.m. EST on Dec. 8.

Record-Breaking Mission and First-Time Flyers

Across 245 days in orbit, the crew circled Earth 3,920 times and traveled nearly 104 million miles. Kim and Zubritsky completed their first spaceflights, while Ryzhikov—on his third mission—now holds 603 cumulative days in space.

The crew launched to the ISS on April 8 as part of a mission that contributed to NASA’s long-running efforts to advance scientific discovery and human spaceflight capabilities.

Scientific Research to Benefit Earth and Future Missions

While aboard the ISS, Kim supported numerous experiments and technology demonstrations. His work included studying the behavior of bioprinted tissues with blood vessels in microgravity—research that could accelerate space-based tissue production and improve medical treatments on Earth.

Kim also tested multi-robot remote command capabilities for the Surface Avatar investigation, a study that could inform the development of robotic assistants for future lunar and Martian missions. In addition, he contributed to research on in-space manufacturing of DNA-mimicking nanomaterials, which may enhance drug delivery systems and support emerging fields in regenerative medicine.

Return to Houston and the Future of Exploration

After routine medical checks in Kazakhstan, the crew will travel to the recovery staging area in Karaganda. Kim will then return to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

For more than 25 years, astronauts have lived and worked continuously aboard the International Space Station, enabling scientific breakthroughs not achievable on Earth. As commercial partners expand human spaceflight services and develop new low Earth orbit destinations, NASA is directing its focus toward deep space exploration through the Artemis program and preparing for eventual human missions to Mars.

WASHINGTON (FNN) – A federal lawsuit filed Tuesday by U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell accuses Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Bill Pulte of abusing his authority to improperly access and weaponize confidential mortgage data belonging to Swalwell and other political critics of President Donald Trump.

The lawsuit comes less than two weeks after Pulte referred the California Democrat to the Justice Department for possible mortgage-fraud prosecution — an investigation Swalwell says is politically motivated and retaliatory. Swalwell is seeking a court order requiring Pulte to withdraw the referral, along with unspecified monetary damages, alleging violations of federal protections and his First Amendment rights.

Pulte did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Lawsuit Claims Retaliation Against Trump Critics

Swalwell, currently running for governor of California, previously served as a House impeachment manager during Trump’s 2021 impeachment trial. His filing argues that Pulte has acted as a central figure in what Swalwell describes as “a campaign of retribution” against political opponents of the president.

“Those efforts have resulted in the Department of Justice conducting a series of high-profile criminal investigations and prosecutions nakedly targeting some of the President’s most outspoken critics,” the lawsuit states.

The Nov. 13 referral from Pulte to the Justice Department alleged that Swalwell intentionally misrepresented his Washington, D.C., residence status to secure favorable mortgage terms. Swalwell denies this, saying his sworn affidavit clarified that the property would serve as his wife’s primary residence, not his own.

Mortgage Investigation Scandal Widens

Internal investigations have already begun within the FHFA regarding whether Pulte and his associates improperly accessed private mortgage files. Pulte, who installed himself as chairman of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, has drawn alarm from industry observers by purging watchdog officials and leadership from the agencies.

Swalwell’s suit calls Pulte’s actions “unprecedented and unlawful,” particularly the practice of obtaining confidential mortgage records and using them to push DOJ criminal referrals.

The Justice Department previously named Ed Martin as a special prosecutor overseeing mortgage-fraud inquiries into prominent Democrats, including U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff and New York Attorney General Letitia James. On Monday, a federal judge dismissed the separate criminal cases against James and former FBI Director James Comey, ruling that the prosecutor responsible for filing charges had been improperly appointed.