Astronauts complete space station mission
Source: Agencies |
March 17, 2011, Thursday
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Print Edition
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NASA astronaut Scott Kelly and two Russian cosmonauts landed safely yesterday in the snowy expanses of central Kazakhstan after spending five months on the International Space Station.
The Soyuz capsule carrying Kelly, Alexander Kaleri and Oleg Skripochka landed at 1:53pm local time or 0753 GMT about 50 kilometers from the northern Kazakh city of Arkalyk.
Kelly returned to earth as his twin brother Mark, husband of wounded congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, prepared to take part in the shuttle Endeavour's final mission in April.
The capsule returned to harsh conditions, including a wind that blew it on its side and rolled it 22 meters from its touchdown point.
Rob Navias, a spokesman for the US space agency NASA on the scene, described conditions as "like a scene from the North Pole."
The space travelers were bundled into blankets after being pulled from the capsule, then placed in reclining stretchers as they slowly acclimated to the planet's gravity after months of weightlessness.
The first out was Kaleri, who has now spent a total of 770 days in space over five flights, making him the second most experienced space flier in history after compatriot Sergei Krikalyov. Navias said Kaleri smiled and winked at him as he was lifted out.
Skripochka and Kelly also appeared to be in good shape.
Russian Dmitry Kondratyev, Italy's Paolo Nespoli and American Catherine Coleman remain aboard the space station.
The Soyuz capsule carrying Kelly, Alexander Kaleri and Oleg Skripochka landed at 1:53pm local time or 0753 GMT about 50 kilometers from the northern Kazakh city of Arkalyk.
Kelly returned to earth as his twin brother Mark, husband of wounded congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, prepared to take part in the shuttle Endeavour's final mission in April.
The capsule returned to harsh conditions, including a wind that blew it on its side and rolled it 22 meters from its touchdown point.
Rob Navias, a spokesman for the US space agency NASA on the scene, described conditions as "like a scene from the North Pole."
The space travelers were bundled into blankets after being pulled from the capsule, then placed in reclining stretchers as they slowly acclimated to the planet's gravity after months of weightlessness.
The first out was Kaleri, who has now spent a total of 770 days in space over five flights, making him the second most experienced space flier in history after compatriot Sergei Krikalyov. Navias said Kaleri smiled and winked at him as he was lifted out.
Skripochka and Kelly also appeared to be in good shape.
Russian Dmitry Kondratyev, Italy's Paolo Nespoli and American Catherine Coleman remain aboard the space station.
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