Avi Blizovsky and Beni Ran
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A Russian Soyuz spacecraft carrying the two astronauts who stayed on the space station for the past six months and a Dutch astronaut who boarded the station about a week ago, landed safely in Kazakhstan.
The cell touched down at approximately the scheduled time, at 00:11 GMT.
The Russian Alexander Clary and the American of British origin Michael Powell stayed in space for half a year, while the Dutch Andre Kipers returned to Earth after an 11-day journey. The spokesman of the control center in Korolev said that the landing was soft.
NASA spokesman Robert Navias also said at the landing site near the city of Arklik in northern Kazakhstan that the landing was accurate.
The emergency crews await the landing of the 3 astronauts: the helium leak from the Soyuz
Update 29 / 4 / 04
The spacecraft is scheduled to land at 03:12 Israel time early morning (30/4)
Russian rescue teams equipped with search planes are preparing today (Thursday) for the return to Earth of the international team of astronauts in the Russian Soyuz spacecraft. Initially it was announced that the rescue teams are on standby to prevent a situation similar to the one that happened last time - when the spaceship deviated from its course and the astronauts were located only after several hours. Later, Russian officials announced that there was a helium leak in the spaceship, but according to them and according to NASA, this is a minor leak that does not pose a danger. "The leak does not endanger the landing of the crew and it will be carried out as planned," said Vladimir Solovyov, director of mission control in Russia.
The helium is used to create pressure in the fuel tank of the Soyuz spacecraft. According to Debbie Wren, a NASA spokeswoman who is in Russia, despite the leak there is enough helium in the spacecraft to create pressure. The leak was discovered several months ago, but the experts do not believe that it is a malfunction that justifies the postponement of the landing. According to Soloviov, similar leaks were previously discovered in other Soyuz series spacecraft, but they did not prevent their return to Earth and the landings ended successfully.
"We are prepared for any emergency during the landing," said Colonel Mikhail Polokin of the Russian Air Force, who is coordinating the operation. "But a little luck is always needed." Paul and Clary were replaced on the space station by Michael Finke of NASA and Gennady Padalka of Russia. The three are expected to land in Kazakhstan on Thursday at 4:12 Moscow time.
American astronaut Michael Paul and Russian Alexander Cleary are scheduled to land in Kazakhstan after a six-month stay on the International Space Station. They will be accompanied by the Dutchman Andre Koopers from the European Space Agency, who joined them for 11 days in order to perform scientific experiments.
The return to Earth is being made in the Russian spacecraft because the US space shuttle fleet is grounded after the space shuttle Columbia disintegrated over Texas in February 2003, killing the seven astronauts on board. The disposable Russian Soyuz-series spacecraft are capable of carrying less cargo than the American shuttles, but they are considered very reliable.
