Astronauts Return to Earth

After landing safely in Kazakhstan on Tuesday, the International Space Station crew was treated to a traditional Kazakh ceremony in the town of Arkalyk.

[Roman Romanenko, Russian Astronaut]:
"Thank you very much for your support, thanks to all these friendly people who met us, which we love, and we will always be ready to come straight from the sky to your hands."

Canadian astronaut Robert Thirsk, Belgian Frank de Winne and Russian cosmonaut Roman Romanenko spent six months on the International Space Station.

Their Russian Soyuz space capsule landed as planned at 10:17 a.m. Moscow time, about 50 miles north of Arkalyk.

The crew was treated to bread and salt, a Russian tradition of hospitality.

Women dressed in traditional Kazakh clothes then offered each crew member a traditional Kazakh hat and coat, to show the country's respect and welcome. They are traditionally given to honored guests.

The crew will fly back to Russia's space training center in Star City, outside Moscow, as soon as the weather clears up.

They will be reunited with their families and go through training on how to deal with gravity after six months on the space station.

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• Kazakhstan
• International Space Station
• Arkalyk
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