Soyuz capsule carrying 3 crew land safely in Kazakhstan
MOSCOW (AP) - A Russian space capsule with three men onboard has safely landed in a barren steppe in Kazakhstan after a six-month mission aboard the International Space Station.
The Soyuz MS-08 carrying Russia's Oleg Artemyev and NASA's Drew Feustel and Ricky Arnold touched down at 5.44 p.m. Kazakh time (1144 GMT).
The two Americans ventured outside the space station for three space walks to carry out maintenance during their 197-day stay at the orbiting lab. Artemyev conducted one spacewalk together with a fellow Russian.
A NASA astronaut and a Russian cosmonaut are due to launch next week to join three astronauts who remain in the orbit.
A Russian Soyuz MS-08 space capsule lands about 150 km (80 miles) south-east of the Kazakh town of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, Thursday, Oct. 4, 2018 . A Russian space capsule with three men onboard has safely landed in a barren steppe in Kazakhstan after a six-month mission aboard the International Space Station. (Maxim Shipenkov/Pool Photo via AP)
The Associated Press
A Russian Soyuz MS-08 space capsule lands about 150 km (80 miles) south-east of the Kazakh town of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, Thursday, Oct. 4, 2018 . A Russian space capsule with three men onboard has safely landed in a barren steppe in Kazakhstan after a six-month mission aboard the International Space Station. (Maxim Shipenkov/Pool Photo via AP)
The Associated Press
A rescue helicopter lands next to a Russian Soyuz MS-08 space capsule upon its landed about 150 km (80 miles) south-east of the Kazakh town of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, Thursday, Oct. 4, 2018 . A Russian space capsule with three men onboard has safely landed in a barren steppe in Kazakhstan after a six-month mission aboard the International Space Station. (Maxim Shipenkov/Pool Photo via AP)
The Associated Press
Ground personnel carry U.S. astronaut Andrew Feustel shortly after the landing of the Russian Soyuz MS-08 space capsule about 150 km (80 miles) south-east of the Kazakh town of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, Thursday, Oct. 4, 2018 . A Russian space capsule with three men onboard has safely landed in a barren steppe in Kazakhstan after a six-month mission aboard the International Space Station. (Maxim Shipenkov/Pool Photo via AP)
The Associated Press
Ground personnel carry Russian cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev shortly after the landing of the Russian Soyuz MS-08 space capsule about 150 km (80 miles) south-east of the Kazakh town of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, Thursday, Oct. 4, 2018 . A Russian space capsule with three men onboard has safely landed in a barren steppe in Kazakhstan after a six-month mission aboard the International Space Station. (Maxim Shipenkov/Pool Photo via AP)
The Associated Press
Russian cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev speaks on the phone shortly after the landing of the Russian Soyuz MS-08 space capsule about 150 km (80 miles) south-east of the Kazakh town of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, Thursday, Oct. 4, 2018 . A Russian space capsule with three men onboard has safely landed in a barren steppe in Kazakhstan after a six-month mission aboard the International Space Station. (Maxim Shipenkov/Pool Photo via AP)
The Associated Press
U.S. astronaut Andrew Feustel rests shortly after the landing of the Russian Soyuz MS-08 space capsule about 150 km (80 miles) south-east of the Kazakh town of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, Thursday, Oct. 4, 2018 . A Russian space capsule with three men onboard has safely landed in a barren steppe in Kazakhstan after a six-month mission aboard the International Space Station. (Maxim Shipenkov/Pool Photo via AP)
The Associated Press
U.S. astronaut Richard Arnold, left, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev, center, and U.S. astronaut Andrew Feustel sit shortly after the landing of the Russian Soyuz MS-08 space capsule about 150 km (80 miles) south-east of the Kazakh town of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, Thursday, Oct. 4, 2018 . A Russian space capsule with three men onboard has safely landed in a barren steppe in Kazakhstan after a six-month mission aboard the International Space Station. (Maxim Shipenkov/Pool Photo via AP)
The Associated Press