Amazing photos of Exp 49 astronauts touching down on Earth after 115 days in space
One skilled photographer shows what coming to Earth feels like.
NASA astronaut Kate Rubins, Russian cosmonaut Anatoly Ivanishin of Roscosmos, and astronaut Takuya Onishi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) touched down near the town of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan on Sunday. Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls
Sunday at noon, three astronauts who had been on an 115-day-long mission on the International Space Station safely landed on Earth. The Expedition 49 crew made of Kate Rubins, Anatoly Ivanishin, and Takuya Onishi first climbed into the cramped Russian-made Soyuz spacecraft, then closed the hatch to the ISS. Three hours later, the craft’s parachute opened and the crew touched down in central Kazakhstan where rescue helicopters hovered above — all under the vigilant eye of Bill Ingalls, a NASA photographer. Here are some of the highlights from the landing.
Russian search and rescue helicopters survey the drop site in anticipation of the astronauts’ landing. Credit: Bill Ingalls/NASA
Credit: Bill Ingalls/NASA
The old but reliable Soyuz MS-01 spacecraft brings the three astronauts back to Earth safely. Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls
During their mission, the three astronauts performed various biology, biotech, and physics experiments. They were also responsible for loading and unloading three cargo shipments which docked with the ISS during their stay.
A battered Soyuz craft from the atmospheric re-entry with the crew still inside, shortly before the hatch was opened and the astronauts touched Earth for the first time in 115 days. Credit: Bill Ingalls/NASA
“I’m kind of reluctant to close the hatch,” Ivanishin said during a ceremony Friday when he handed command of the space station to U.S. astronaut Shane Kimbrough. “The time is very special here. … I didn’t have time to know what’s going on on our planet, and maybe it’s for the better. On the space station, you live in a very friendly, very good environment.”
Anatoly Ivanishin exits the Soyuz spacecraft. Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls
Astronaut Kate Rubins talks to her family on satphone shortly after she landed on Earth. Bill Ingalls/NASA
None of the astronauts was hurt or injured during the landing. It is, however, the standard procedure that all astronauts who come back to Earth are carried in wheelchairs until they receive medical attention. Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls
