Soyuz Landing Caps Historic Space Station Increment

Oct. 11, 2009

Michael Curie
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100


Kelly Humphries
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111



RELEASE: 09-237

SOYUZ LANDING CAPS HISTORIC SPACE STATION INCREMENT

WASHINGTON -- International Space Station Expedition 20 Commander
Gennady Padalka and Flight Engineer Michael Barratt landed their
Soyuz TMA-14 spacecraft on the steppes of Kazakhstan Sunday, wrapping
up a six-month stay. Joining them was spaceflight participant Guy
Laliberte, who spent 11 days in space.

Padalka, the Soyuz commander, guided the spacecraft to a
parachute-assisted landing at 12:32 a.m. EDT at a site northeast of
the town of Arkalyk.

Russian recovery teams were on hand within minutes of landing to help
the crew exit from the Soyuz vehicle and reacclimate to gravity. The
crew members will return to the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in
Star City, outside of Moscow, for reunions with their families.

Padalka and Barratt spent 199 days in space and 197 days on the
station after their March 26 launch. Laliberte launched with the
Expedition 21 crew on a Soyuz vehicle Sept. 30 and returned after
nine days on the station.

Padalka and Barratt presided over the inauguration of a six-person
crew and two space shuttle assembly and resupply missions to the
station. They also were station crew members during the delivery of
tons of cargo and new science facilities for expanded research, and
the arrival of the first Japanese H-II Transfer cargo vehicle.

The station now is occupied by Expedition 21 Commander Frank De Winne
of the European Space Agency and Flight Engineers Roman Romanenko and
Max Suraev of Russia, Bob Thirsk of the Canadian Space Agency and
Nicole Stott and Jeff Williams of NASA.

For information about the space station, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/station

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