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ISS: Expedition 48 crew heading back to Earth ISS: Expedition 48 crew touches down in Kazakhstan
(about 2 hours later)
Everything is prepared in Kazakhstan, where two Russian cosmonauts and one NASA astronaut are expected to land early on Wednesday morning. Two Russian cosmonauts and one NASA astronaut have safely landed early Wednesday morning in the Kazakhstan steppes, thus finishing a 170-day mission in space.
WATCH EXPEDITION 48 LANDING LIVE ON RT
The crew of three – Aleksey Ovchinin, Oleg Skripochka and Jeffrey Williams – on Tuesday left the International Space Station (ISS) as the Soyuz TMA-20M spacecraft undocked from the ISS at 21:51 GMT.The crew of three – Aleksey Ovchinin, Oleg Skripochka and Jeffrey Williams – on Tuesday left the International Space Station (ISS) as the Soyuz TMA-20M spacecraft undocked from the ISS at 21:51 GMT.
The crew, which was part of the Expedition 48, spent over 170 days in space. Their estimated time flying back to Earth is around three hours. The Soyuz spacecraft has landed 148 kilometers (92 miles) from the town of Zhezkazgan in Kazakhstan. According to Russia's Mission Control Center (MCC), the landscape in the area is mostly flat, with no forests, large bodies of water or populated areas.
The Soyuz spacecraft is expected to land at 01:14 GMT, some 150 kilometers (93 miles) from the town of Zhezkazgan in Kazakhstan. According to Russia's Mission Control Center (MCC), the landscape in the area is mostly flat, with no forests, large bodies of water or populated areas. The crew, which was part of the Expedition 48, spent over 170 days in space. Their estimated time flying back to Earth was around three hours.
READ MORE: ‘Why the f*** did I go? 'Cause once you lie on the sofa, you’re dead': Cosmonauts chat on way to ISSREAD MORE: ‘Why the f*** did I go? 'Cause once you lie on the sofa, you’re dead': Cosmonauts chat on way to ISS
Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency, Rosaviatsiya, together with Russia's Defense Ministry, the Federal Space Agency, Roscosmos, and other state agencies have everything prepared for the search and rescue mission during the landing. Three airplanes, 12 helicopters and a number of other special machinery have been deployed to the area. A total of 200 military personnel, 12 specially equipped Mi-8 helicopters, four Antonov An-12 and An-26 aircrafts, along with a number of other special machinery took part in the search and rescue operation.
Meanwhile, three other space adventurers, Russia's Anatoly Ivanishin, American Kathleen Rubins and Japan's Takuya Onishi will stay on the ISS, until the next expedition arrives.Meanwhile, three other space adventurers, Russia's Anatoly Ivanishin, American Kathleen Rubins and Japan's Takuya Onishi will stay on the ISS, until the next expedition arrives.