In this photo provided by NASA, Expedition 54 crew members, from left, Joe Acaba, Alexander Misurkin and Mark Vande Hei are wrapped in blankets after exiting the Soyuz MS-06 spacecraft that landed in Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2018. The three astronauts returned from the International Space Station to the snowy, bitingly cold flat lands of Central Asia, ending a 5 1/2-month mission highlighted by robotic renovations, schoolteacher pep talks and heavenly greetings from Pope Francis. (NASA via AP)
February 27, 2018 - 6:35 PM
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The Latest on return of three astronauts from International Space Station (all times local):
9:31 p.m.
Three astronauts are back on Earth after a 5 1/2-month space station mission.
The two Americans and one Russian landed in their Soyuz capsule shortly after sunrise Wednesday, local time, in Kazakhstan. It was a frigid homecoming. Despite snow and temperatures below freezing, recovery teams got to where they needed to be.
NASA's Joe Acaba and Mark Vande Hei (VAN-duh-HI) and Russia's Alexander Misurkin checked out of the International Space Station just a few hours earlier. They hugged the three men remaining behind.
Acaba, Vande Hei and Misurkin flew to the orbiting lab last September. Their mission was highlighted by robot-arm renovations, schoolteacher pep talks and heavenly greetings from Pope Francis.
A replacement crew will launch to the space station in three weeks.
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3:30 p.m.
Three astronauts face a bitterly cold homecoming after nearly six months aboard the International Space Station.
The two Americans and one Russian entered their attached Soyuz capsule Tuesday for the ride back to Earth. They're aiming for a touchdown Wednesday morning local time in Kazakhstan. Snow and freezing rain are complicating the travel of recovery crews.
Joe Acaba, Mark Vande Hei (VAN-duh-HI) and Alexander Misurkin flew to the orbiting lab last September. Their mission was highlighted by robot-arm renovations, schoolteacher pep talks and heavenly greetings from Pope Francis.
Acaba is the first astronaut of Puerto Rican heritage and a former teacher. He teamed up with another educator-astronaut, who's launching in three weeks, to perform the science lessons prepared by Christa McAuliffe 32 years ago. She died aboard space shuttle Challenger.
News from © The Associated Press, 2018