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A Day Late, Soyuz Lands in Kazakhstan

Despite earlier glitch, landing goes flawlessly

By Polly Davis Doig,  Newser Staff

Posted Sep 25, 2010 6:18 AM CDT

(Newser) – Russia's Soyuz space capsule safely touched down in a Kazakhstan steppe this morning, reports the AP, landing flawlessly a day after being delayed by an undocking glitch with the International Space Station. "That was almost a bull's-eye landing," said a NASA spokesman as Russian officials swarmed the landing site to pull astronaut Tracy Caldwell-Dyson and cosmonauts Alexander Skvortsov and Mikhail Kornienko from the Soyuz.

Only two flights remain for the US space shuttle fleet before it retires permanently and the US is entirely dependent of foreign spacecraft.
Russian Space agency rescue specialists carry astronaut Tracy Caldwell Dyson just after the Soyuz TMA-18 landed in central Kazakhstan, on Saturday, Sept. 25, 2010. Soyuz TMA-18 spacecraft carrying Russian cosmonauts Alexander Skvortsov, Mikhail Kornienko and American NASA astronaut Tracy Caldwell Dyson successfully landed in Kazakh step.
Russian Space agency rescue specialists carry astronaut Tracy Caldwell Dyson just after the Soyuz TMA-18 landed in central Kazakhstan, on Saturday, Sept. 25, 2010. Soyuz TMA-18 spacecraft carrying Russian...   (AP Photo/Maxim Shipenkov, Pool)
Tracy Caldwell Dyson speaks on the phone just after landing in the Soyuz TMA-18 in central Kazakhstan, on Saturday, Sept. 25, 2010.
Tracy Caldwell Dyson speaks on the phone just after landing in the Soyuz TMA-18 in central Kazakhstan, on Saturday, Sept. 25, 2010.   (AP Photo/Maxim Shipenkov, Pool)
The Soyuz TMA-18 carrying astronaut Tracy Caldwell Dyson and cosmonauts Alexander Skvortsov and Mikhail Kornienko descends over central Kazakhstan, on Saturday, Sept. 25, 2010.
The Soyuz TMA-18 carrying astronaut Tracy Caldwell Dyson and cosmonauts Alexander Skvortsov and Mikhail Kornienko descends over central Kazakhstan, on Saturday, Sept. 25, 2010.   (AP Photo/Maxim Shipenkov, Pool)
The Soyuz successfully lands in a Kazakh steppe near Arkalyk, in central Kazakhstan, on Saturday, Sept. 25, 2010.
The Soyuz successfully lands in a Kazakh steppe near Arkalyk, in central Kazakhstan, on Saturday, Sept. 25, 2010.   (AP Photo/Maxim Shipenkov, Pool)
A rescue helicopter stands at the airport of town of Dzhezkazgan, in central Kazakhstan, on Friday, Sept. 24, 2010. The return of two Russian cosmonauts and an U.S. astronaut to Earth from the International Space Station that was scheduled for Friday has been pushed back by a day because...
A rescue helicopter stands at the airport of town of Dzhezkazgan, in central Kazakhstan, on Friday, Sept. 24, 2010. The return of two Russian cosmonauts and an U.S. astronaut to Earth from the International...   (Sergei Remezov)
Tracy Caldwell Dyson, left, Alexander Skvortsov, center and Mikhail Kornienko sit in chairs outside the Soyuz Capsule just minutes after they landed in Kazakhstan on Saturday, Sept. 25, 2010.
Tracy Caldwell Dyson, left, Alexander Skvortsov, center and Mikhail Kornienko sit in chairs outside the Soyuz Capsule just minutes after they landed in Kazakhstan on Saturday, Sept. 25, 2010.   (Bill Ingalls)
Rescue helicopters stand at the airport of town of Dzhezkazgan, on Friday, Sept. 24, 2010. The return of two Russian cosmonauts and an American astronaut to Earth from the International Space Station that was scheduled for Friday has been pushed back by a day because of problems encountered while undocking,...
Rescue helicopters stand at the airport of town of Dzhezkazgan, on Friday, Sept. 24, 2010. The return of two Russian cosmonauts and an American astronaut to Earth from the International Space Station...   (Maxim Shipenkov)
Russian Space agency rescue service specialists help Alexander Skvortsov leave the Soyuz space capsule near Arkalyk, Kazakhstan, on Saturday, Sept. 25, 2010.
Russian Space agency rescue service specialists help Alexander Skvortsov leave the Soyuz space capsule near Arkalyk, Kazakhstan, on Saturday, Sept. 25, 2010.   (AP Photo/Maxim Shipenkov, Pool)
Russian Space agency rescue specialists help NASA astronaut Tracy Caldwell Dyson exit the Soyuz capsule near Arkalyk, Kazakhstan, on Saturday, Sept. 25, 2010.
Russian Space agency rescue specialists help NASA astronaut Tracy Caldwell Dyson exit the Soyuz capsule near Arkalyk, Kazakhstan, on Saturday, Sept. 25, 2010.   (AP Photo/Maxim Shipenkov, Pool)
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COMMENTS
Showing 1 of 1 comment
Mr_Joshua
Sep 25, 2010 6:48 AM CDT
Two more flights to go and Mr Joshua is very sad. Hell, they really should have listened to a few of the smart spaceboys who recommended to fly them for another 5 years at least because they are in great shape. Cutting the jobs that this program provides and outsourcing ISS resupply to the Russians does not make sense. (although I think this was decided way before Obama). Hell, if the Chinese can cut shipments of rare earth metals over a fishing boat captain, I wonder if a spat with Boris could cause supply issues to the ISS. This loss of tech know-how relating to the shuttles will come back and bite the U.S in the ass. Canceling the shuttle program now is a tragedy that only China will benefit from. And you can call me......Mr Joshua.

 
NASA • astronauts • International Space Station • Kazakhstan • Russian Space Agency • cosmonauts • Soyuz

 
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