US, Russian, Japanese astronauts return from International Space Station
Three astronauts landed safely in Kazakhstan Sunday following a 115-day mission aboard the the International Space Station, including US astronaut Kate Rubins, the first person to sequence DNA in space.
Russian mission control confirmed the touchdown of NASA's Rubins, Roscosmos' Anatoly Ivanishin and Takuya Onishi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency at 0358 GMT.
"Landing has taken place!" Russian mission control stated, with commentators on NASA TV noting that the Soyuz craft had landed in an upright position.
Molecular biologist Rubins and Onishi were both returning from their first missions in space, while flight commander Ivanishin undertook a five-month mission at the ISS five years ago.
Footage from the landing site on NASA television showed Rubins smiling after she was hoisted out last from the Soyuz descent module.
"Everybody is feeling wonderful," said Ivanishin, who emerged first from the craft, in comments translated from Russian.
Their journey back to Earth marks the first complete mission to and from the orbital lab for a new generation of Soyuz spacecraft with upgraded features.
- AFP