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Russia's Soyuz capsule lands in Kazakhstan after ISS visit | Russia's Soyuz capsule lands in Kazakhstan after ISS visit |
(40 minutes later) | |
A Russian Soyuz spacecraft has landed safely in Kazakhstan, bringing three crew members back from the International Space Station (ISS). | |
US astronaut Mike Fossum, Japan's Satoshi Furukawa and Russia's Sergei Volkov spent 165 days on the ISS. | US astronaut Mike Fossum, Japan's Satoshi Furukawa and Russia's Sergei Volkov spent 165 days on the ISS. |
Their replacements - two Russians and an American - arrived at the ISS on the Soyuz on Wednesday. | Their replacements - two Russians and an American - arrived at the ISS on the Soyuz on Wednesday. |
The Soyuz is now the only means of reaching the ISS after the US ended its shuttle programme earlier this year. | The Soyuz is now the only means of reaching the ISS after the US ended its shuttle programme earlier this year. |
The capsule touched down safely on the snowy steppes of Kazakhstan at 08:27 local time (02:27 GMT), said officials. | The capsule touched down safely on the snowy steppes of Kazakhstan at 08:27 local time (02:27 GMT), said officials. |
Television footage showed the smiling three-man crew emerging and being wrapped in blankets. | Television footage showed the smiling three-man crew emerging and being wrapped in blankets. |
"The landing was great. Everything's good," said Mr Volkov. | |
US space agency Nasa said the capsule had landed on its side, which was "not unusual in windy conditions". | US space agency Nasa said the capsule had landed on its side, which was "not unusual in windy conditions". |
The Soyuz rocket carrying the spacecraft blasted off from Russia's Baikonur cosmodrome on Monday morning. | |
It was the first manned voyage since a cargo rocket crashed shortly after launch in August, prompting the suspension of all manned space travel for almost three months. | It was the first manned voyage since a cargo rocket crashed shortly after launch in August, prompting the suspension of all manned space travel for almost three months. |
That crash meant the returning astronauts had only one six days to introduce the new crew members to the ISS - half the usual handover time. | |
Nasa astronaut Dan Burbank and Russian cosmonauts Anton Shkaplerov and Anatoly Ivanishin are due to remain at the space station until March. | Nasa astronaut Dan Burbank and Russian cosmonauts Anton Shkaplerov and Anatoly Ivanishin are due to remain at the space station until March. |
They will be joined in December by American Don Pettit, Russian Oleg Kononenko and Andre Kuipers, from the Netherlands, bringing the ISS back up to its full complement of six. |