{"id":12153,"date":"2020-10-22T22:53:10","date_gmt":"2020-10-22T14:53:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/soyuz-brings-three-space-station-fliers-back-to-earth\/"},"modified":"2020-10-22T22:53:10","modified_gmt":"2020-10-22T14:53:10","slug":"soyuz-brings-three-space-station-fliers-back-to-earth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/soyuz-brings-three-space-station-fliers-back-to-earth\/","title":{"rendered":"Soyuz brings three space station fliers back to Earth"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>STORY WRITTEN FOR&nbsp;CBS NEWS&nbsp;&amp; USED WITH PERMISSION<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_48118\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-48118\" style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-48118\" src=\"http:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/ms16kazakhstan.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"659\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/ms16kazakhstan.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/ms16kazakhstan-300x165.jpg 300w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/ms16kazakhstan-768x422.jpg 768w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/ms16kazakhstan-678x372.jpg 678w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-48118\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The descent module of the Soyuz MS-16 spacecraft after landing in Kazakhstan. Credit: NASA TV \/ Spaceflight Now<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>One week after two cosmonauts and a NASA astronaut arrived at the International Space Station, the three crew members they\u2019re replacing strapped into their own Soyuz spacecraft, undocked and returned to Earth Wednesday with a landing on the steppe of Kazakhstan to close out a 196-day mission.<\/p>\n<p>Descending under a huge orange-and-white parachute, the Soyuz crew module touched down at 10:54 p.m. EDT (8:54 a.m. Thursday local time), three-and-a-half hours after departing the lab complex.<\/p>\n<p>All three crew members \u2014 outgoing station commander Chris Cassidy, Soyuz MS-16\/62S commander Anatoly Ivanishin and flight engineer Ivan Vagner \u2014 appeared in good condition, smiling and chatting with support personnel as they began re-adjusting to the unfamiliar tug of gravity.<\/p>\n<p>Cassidy formally turned the station over to cosmonaut Sergey Ryzhikov Tuesday, handing him a ceremonial \u201ckey\u201d to the lab complex. Ryzhikov, Sergei Kud-Sverchkov and Kate Rubins arrived at the station last Wednesday aboard their own Soyuz ferry ship.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cExpedition 63 has gone by super fast,\u201d said Cassidy, a former Navy SEAL. \u201cWe joke around that there\u2019s only Mondays and Fridays and it\u2019s a big blur of time between.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Cassidy\u2019s departure came less than two weeks before the 20th anniversary of the first station crew\u2019s arrival on Nov. 2, 2000. Since then, the lab has been continuously staffed by rotating international astronaut-cosmonaut crews.<\/p>\n<p><iframe id=\"twitter-widget-0\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" class=\"\" style=\"position: static; visibility: visible; width: 0px; height: 0px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;\" title=\"X Post\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1319110364206911488&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fspaceflightnow.com%2F2020%2F10%2F22%2Fsoyuz-brings-three-space-station-fliers-back-to-earth%2F&amp;sessionId=c2b119f80d018df3417fcb7f7a982c16b9cb38cf&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&amp;width=550px\" data-tweet-id=\"1319110364206911488\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-twitter-extracted-i178269651284881437=\"true\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">TOUCHDOWN! The Soyuz MS-16 capsule has landed in Kazakhstan, capping the 196-day flight of Anatoly Ivanishin, Ivan Vagner, and Chris Cassidy on the International Space Station.https:\/\/t.co\/Aaj7FLYvVF pic.twitter.com\/8BOz44pGDJ<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Spaceflight Now (@SpaceflightNow) October 22, 2020<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>In a tweet Tuesday, Cassidy noted the lab\u2019s first commander was also a veteran SEAL.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTwenty years ago my astro-SEAL mentor, Captain Bill Shepherd, assumed command of Expedition 1,\u201d Cassidy said. \u201cNow we are book-ending those two decades of manned ISS operations with @us_navyseals astronauts in space.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Cassidy, Ivanishin and Vagner were launched to the station on April 9. They strapped into the same Soyuz and undocked at 7:32 p.m. EDT Wednesday to begin the descent to Earth.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMama, I\u2019m coming home!\u201d Vagner tweeted earlier.<\/p>\n<p>After donning their pressure suits and moving a safe distance away from the station, the Soyuz crew monitored an automated firing of the ship\u2019s braking rockets starting at 10 p.m., slowing the ship by about 286 mph to drop the far side of the orbit into the atmosphere.<\/p>\n<p>Twenty five minutes later, the Soyuz spacecraft\u2019s central crew module slammed into the discernible atmosphere at an altitude of about 62 miles, enduring the scorching heat of re-entry before deploying a large parachute and setting to touchdown near the town of Dzhezkazgan.<\/p>\n<p>As always, Russian recovery forces, flight surgeons and NASA personnel were deployed near the landing site to help the station fliers out of their cramped descent module after 195 days and 18 hours off the planet.<\/p>\n<p><iframe id=\"twitter-widget-1\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" class=\"\" style=\"position: static; visibility: visible; width: 0px; height: 0px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;\" title=\"X Post\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-1&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1319116676428857346&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fspaceflightnow.com%2F2020%2F10%2F22%2Fsoyuz-brings-three-space-station-fliers-back-to-earth%2F&amp;sessionId=c2b119f80d018df3417fcb7f7a982c16b9cb38cf&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&amp;width=550px\" data-tweet-id=\"1319116676428857346\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-twitter-extracted-i178269651284881437=\"true\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy is out of the Soyuz MS-16 spacecraft.<\/p>\n<p>Cassidy, a former Navy SEAL, has logged 378 days in space on three missions.<\/p>\n<p>Live coverage: https:\/\/t.co\/Aaj7FLYvVF pic.twitter.com\/AEe0E43AfZ<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Spaceflight Now (@SpaceflightNow) October 22, 2020<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>After a quick round of medical checks, the crew was to be flown by helicopter to Dzhezkazgan where Cassidy planned to board a waiting NASA jet for the long flight back to Houston. Ivanishin and Vagner were expected to head for Star City near Moscow.<\/p>\n<p>Including two previous flights, Cassidy\u2019s total time in space now totals 378 days, moving him up to fifth on the list of most experienced NASA astronauts. Ivanishin, also completing his third flight, has now logged 476 days in space while Vagner was completing his first space flight.<\/p>\n<p>During their stay aboard the space lab, Cassidy\u2019s crew welcomed three unpiloted cargo ships, one Soyuz crew \u2014 Ryzhikov, Kud-Sverchkov and Rubins \u2013 and the first piloted SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft carrying NASA astronauts Douglas Hurley and Robert Behnken.<\/p>\n<p>Cassidy also completed four spacewalks during his time aloft, totaling 23 hours and 37 minutes, pushing his overall total to nearly 55 hours across 10 excursions.<\/p>\n<p>Ryzhikov, Kud-Sverchkov and Rubins will have the station to themselves until mid November when NASA plans to launch a three-man one-woman crew to the lab aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon ferry ship, boosting the station\u2019s crew to seven.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>STORY WRITTEN FOR&nbsp;CBS NEWS&nbsp;&amp; USED WITH PERMISSION The descent module of the Soyuz MS-16 spacecraft after landing in Kazakhstan. Credit: NASA TV \/ Spaceflight Now One week after two cosmonauts and a NASA astronaut arrived at the International Space Station, the three crew members they\u2019re replacing strapped into their own Soyuz spacecraft, undocked and returned [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[2032,2033,2034,1545,717,2035,1771,190],"class_list":["post-12153","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-anatoly-ivanishin","tag-chris-cassidy","tag-expedition-63","tag-human-spaceflight","tag-international-space-station","tag-ivan-vagner","tag-kazakhstan","tag-nasa"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12153"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12153"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12153\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12153"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12153"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12153"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}