Space station crew land safely in Kazakhstan
ARKALYK, Kazakhstan (Reuters) - Three astronauts landed safely in the frozen steppe of northern Kazakhstan on Tuesday after six months orbiting the world on the International Space Station.
The Russian Soyuz space capsule, carrying Belgian Frank de Winne, Canadian Robert Thirsk and Russian Roman Romanenko, landed as planned at 10:17 a.m. Moscow time (0717 GMT/2:17 a.m. EST) about 85 km (50 miles) north of the town of Arkalyk in Kazakhstan.
De Winne waved as he was helped from the scorched TMA-15 capsule which took more than three hours to descend from the space station orbiting about 400 km (250 miles) above earth.
"The Soyuz commander has just reported that the crew is in good shape," said an official at Mission Control in Korolyov, outside Moscow.
Icy weather meant that support teams traveled over land rather than in helicopters to the desolate landing site where medics gave the crew check ups.
The crew will fly back to Russia's space training center in Star City, outside Moscow, on Tuesday for a reunion with their families and for training on how to deal with gravity after six months on the space station, NASA said.
American Jeff Williams and Russian Maxim Suraev will remain on the space station until the arrival of a three man crew -- including Russian Oleg Kotov, NASA's Timothy Creamer and Japan's Soichi Noguchi -- who are expected to leave earth aboard a Soyuz TMA-17 spacecraft on December 21. (Additional reporting by Conor Sweeney in Korolyov; Editing by Angus MacSwan)
Source: Washington Post
« Back to Sci/Tech News
Related News
-
International Space Station crew lands safely Dec 1, 2009 @ 01:15 AM
MOSCOW — Russian Mission Control says astronauts from Canada and Belgium and a Russian cosmonaut have landed safely in Kazakhstan, wrapping up a six-month stint on the International Space Station.
-
Russian spacecraft with circus tycoon lands safely Dec 1, 2009 @ 01:15 AM
MOSCOW — The Russian Soyuz capsule carrying Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberte and two other space travelers landed safely in Kazakhstan on Sunday, ending the entertainment tycoon's mirthful space odyssey.
-
No heavy breathing, NASA tells spacewalkers Dec 1, 2009 @ 01:15 AM
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla., July 24 (Reuters) - NASA has some advice for the elite Navy diver-turned-astronaut whose first spacewalk was cut short because of an air issue: Breathe easily.
-
Shuttle Atlantis Lifts Off for 11-Day Mission Dec 1, 2009 @ 01:15 AM
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. — The shuttle Atlantis vaulted into orbit Monday and set off after the International Space Station, carrying 15 tons of spare parts and equipment as a hedge against failures after the shuttle fleet is retired next year.
-
Red-nosed circus billionaire returns to Earth Dec 1, 2009 @ 01:15 AM
KOROLYOV, Russia (Reuters) - Canadian circus billionaire Guy Laliberte returned to Earth on Sunday wearing his trademark clown's red nose, landing as planned in Kazakhstan after a landmark space performance to highlight water scarcity.
