Newsmaker

Russian manned spacecraft lands in Kazakhstan

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-05-24 15:14

Russian cosmonaut Dmitry Kondratyev rests shortly after his landing with NASA astronaut Catherine Coleman and European Space Agency Astronaut Paolo Nespoli in Soyuz TMA-20, southeast of the town of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan May 24, 2011. The Russian Soyuz capsule delivered the international trio back to Earth on Tuesday after six months on the International Space Station, parachuting through clear skies toward a safe landing on the Kazakh steppe.[Photo/Agencies]

MOSCOW -- Russia's Soyuz TMA-20 spacecraft with three crew members onboard has landed in Kazakhstan on Tuesday, said the Mission Control Center (MCC) outside Moscow.

The spacecraft undocked from the International Space Station early Tuesday, carrying Russian cosmonaut Dmitry Kondratyev, European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Paolo Nespoli and NASA astronaut Catherine Coleman back to Earth.

According to the center, the Soyuz TMA-20 landed in the Kazakh steppe at 6:27 Moscow time (0227 GMT). Some 17 planes and helicopters and several rescue vehicles had conducted search works.

Deputy head of Federal Medical and Biological Agency Vyacheslav Rogozhkin said Italian astronaut Naspoli had some health problem after landing.

"Two crew members are fine, the third one has some problems with his vestibular system," Rogozhkin told a press conference after the landing.

In December, the Soyuz TMA-20 was launched from the Kazakh Baikonur space center with three crew members.

The next launch of manned spacecraft to the ISS was scheduled in early June.