Soyuz TMA-12 Returns to Earth

Expedition 17 Crew Lands in Kazakhstan

“Commander Sergei Volkov and Flight Engineer Oleg Kononenko of the 17th International Space Station crew landed on the steppes of Kazakhstan at 11:37 p.m. EDT Thursday after more than six months days in space. All three people aboard the Soyuz TMA-12 spacecraft were reported to be in good condition after their re-entry and landing. A Russian recovery team and NASA personnel reached the landing site by helicopter shortly after the Soyuz touched down. They helped the crew members into reclining chairs for medical tests and set up a medical tent nearby.”