The “Soyuz” space capsule, carrying two Russian cosmonauts and one American astronaut, successfully landed in Kazakhstan yesterday, ending their mission to the International Space Station, which turned out to be the longest for Russian crew members, BTA quoted.
The capsule touched down in the Kazakh steppes approximately three and a half hours after separating from the station, undergoing a calm descent. In the final stage, a red and white parachute slowed the movement, and the final seconds were aided by small rockets that softened the landing.
After being removed from the capsule, the cosmonauts and the astronaut were placed in special chairs to adapt to Earth's gravity, then underwent medical examinations in a nearby medical tent.
Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub returned to Earth after a 374-day stay on the station, setting a new record for duration. With them was Tracy Dyson, who spent six months in space.
Eight astronauts remain aboard the station, including Butch Wilmore and Sonny Williams, who will extend their stay due to technical problems with the Starliner capsule. of “Boeing”. Because of these malfunctions, NASA decided that the crew would be returned to Earth with the “SpaceX“ next year.