Space Tourist, Crew Land In Kazakhstan

11 October 2005 -- Russian space officials say an American space tourist and a two-man Russian-American crew are in good condition after the safe landing of their Soyuz capsule today on the steppes of Kazakhstan.
The Soyuz touched down this morning, some 3 1/2 hours after it undocked from the International Space Station and began the approximately 400 kilometer descent to earth.

The returnees include U.S. scientist and businessman Gregory Olsen, who paid $20 million to become the third private citizen to visit the space station.

Also returning were crew members Russian Sergei Krikalev and American John Phillips, who spent nearly six months in orbit aboard the space station.

They have been replaced as the space station's long-term crew by Russian Valerii Tokarev and American William McArthur.

(AP/AFP)

See also:

U.S. Millionaire Becomes World's Third Space Tourist