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Space Station Crew Lands Safely In Kazakhstan

Posted by Zonk on from the yay-for-earth dept.

loid_void writes "It's being reported on CNN that a space capsule carrying a U.S.-Russian-Italian crew has landed safely in northern Kazakhstan, following a mission aboard the international space station. Search-and-rescue helicopters spotted the capsule as it floated toward its designated arrival site and made a soft landing, upright. It had undocked with the orbiting station less than 3 hours earlier. Mission Control said the crew reported feeling fine. Remaining behind on the space station are Russian cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev and American astronaut John Phillips."

6 of 119 comments (clear)

  1. template journalism by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    This article must have been written before the landing took place. The capsule landed on its side. Futhermore, the crew were transferred to Arkalyk where medical staff awaited them, not the other way around.

  2. Re:In my country there is problem... by TheKidWho · · Score: 2, Informative

    The shuttle isn't the problem... Not to mention, the shuttle is getting retired in 5 years right after it finishes getting the ISS "Core Complete(all the US stuff up there basically)"

    The problem is the gap between 2010 and 2014 when there won't be a shuttle or a man rated CEV to get us into space. Thankfully the new NASA administrator Michael Griffin is fully aware of that problem and is working his butt off to eliminate that problem. That's why I love the new NASA administrator and whoever is president 4 years from now, I swear if they change the NASA administrator, im going to kick their ass!

  3. Re:I told uI was hardcore by Cyberax · · Score: 3, Informative

    No, parachutes (3 of them) are used first, retrorockets are fired in the very last moment to make landing soft.

  4. Geez, guys, it's just a return capsule by Alex+Belits · · Score: 3, Informative

    And yes, Kazakhstan is a country (formerly USSR member), where the Baikonur Cosmodrome is located -- this is where Russian ISS-related flights are launched.

    --
    Contrary to the popular belief, there indeed is no God.
  5. Soyuz safty record is comperable to shuttle by A+non-mouse+Cow+Herd · · Score: 5, Informative

    They had 2 fatal accidents (Soyuz 1 and Soyuz 11) and a number of *extremely* close calls. The reentry of Soyuz 5, and the first launch attempts of Soyuz 18 and Soyuz-T 10 come to mind. (the latter very much went KABOOM on the pad, the crew were only saved by the escape system, which pulled them away at about 20 Gs...)

    Soyuz has less total fatalities than the shuttle, but it carries less people per flight, and has flown less flights.

    The fact that the most serious Soyuz failures were early in the program is somewhat in its favor, but from a statistical point of view, it is pretty much a wash. Although the system is in many ways simpler and more robust than the shuttle, the recent Soyuz flights have had their share of problems. The people building and operating it have done an amazing job, but have a severely limited budget and a crumbling infrastructure.

    So if you get a chance to ride either, you may as well jump on it :P

  6. The greeting by Mike+Farooki · · Score: 1, Informative

    U, S, and A! U, S, and A!