ISS crew, space tourist land safely in Kazakhstan

MISSION CONTROL (Moscow Region). April 8. KAZINFORM A Soyuz capsule with the 18th Expedition ISS crew, together with two-times space tourist Charles Simonyi, has landed safely in Kazakhstan, Kazinform refers to RIA Novosti.

Commander Mike Fincke, Russian Flight Engineer Yury Lonchakov and billionaire Simonyi will be taken by helicopter to the Baikonur space center and then by plane to Russia's space training center, Star City, in the Moscow Region. Some 12 helicopters, three aircraft and four rescue and evacuation vehicles, as well as a communications vehicle were involved in the search operation in the Kazakhstan steppe. The Soyuz capsule was originally scheduled to return to Earth on April 7, but the re-entry was postponed after the landing site in Kazakhstan was hit by severe flooding, Kazinform cites RIA Novosti. See www.en.rian.ru for the full version.