Soyuz returns safely from space mission

KOROLYOV, Russia: A Russian Soyuz spacecraft carrying a Russian-American trio of astronauts landed safely in Kazakhstan on Wednesday after a stay in the $ 100 billion Station (ISS).
U.S. astronaut Scott Kelly and Russian cosmonauts Oleg Skripochka and Alexander Kaleri arrived at 0754 GMT, said Russian Mission Control in Korolev near Moscow.
"There was a soft landing ... The capsule is in the earth, " an announcer Russian mission control said to applause enormous.
The landing manual will help allay the growing concern about relying solely on Russia for trips to the space station, which is shared by 19 countries, just before NASA's shuttle mothballs later this year.
A mishap in October meant three astronauts had to stay an extra day in orbit, scrambling to release locks jammed.
Spectators watched the Soyuz TMA-01M in the atmosphere, leaving behind two flight engineers, Catherine Coleman American and Italian Paolo Nespoli ISS, which is shared by 16 nations.