[12] On 20 February 2012, the ISS crew commemorated the fiftieth anniversary of John Glenn's first orbital flight in the Project Mercury spacecraft Friendship 7.

The crew surprised the 90-year-old Glenn by speaking to him via video link while he was on-stage with NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden at Ohio State University.

The robotic ATV carried around 6,595 kilograms (14,539 lb) of propellants, water and dry cargo to the Expedition 30 crew, and also helped boost the station's altitude with its thrusters.

[17] Expedition 30 ended on 27 April 2012 with the departure of Soyuz TMA-22 from the ISS, carrying astronauts Burbank, Shkaplerov and Ivanishin.

The three astronauts landed safely in Kazakhstan at 11:45 AM (GMT), while Kononenko, Kuipers and Pettit remained aboard the station to begin Expedition 31.