Three astronauts have safely returned to Earth after spending more than 200 days aboard the International Space Station.

The Soyuz MS-11 capsule with astronauts from Canada, Russia and the United States parachuted into the steppes of Kazakhstan at 8.47am local time (1.47am BST) on Tuesday, less than a minute ahead of the scheduled time, after a three-and-a-half-hour flight from the orbiting lab.

Two of the astronauts had completed their maiden flights, Anne McClain of the U.S. and David Saint-Jacques of Canada, and expedition commander Oleg Kononenko of Russia ended his fourth space mission.

'It takes about 3.5 hours between undocking from the space station to landing in Kazakhstan. It's been described as a roller coaster or a washing machine - dynamic, but also a precise and highly choreographed process,' McClain wrote on Twitter.

The Soyuz MS-11 was lowered by parachute and used braking thrusters to land safely as the crew were met by Russian forces, as well as medical teams from NASA and the Canadian Space Agency.

Americans Nick Hague and Christina Koch and Russia's Alexey Ovchinin remain aboard the space station, while another three-man crew awaits departure.

Space veteran Kononenko, who was the first one to be extracted from the capsule, looked visibly tired and pale.

McClain and Saint-Jacques were more energetic and gave a thumbs-up to the recovery team who greeted the three with applause.

The astronauts were put on camping chairs in the sun just by the capsule for some respite and initial medical checks as they adjusted to gravity.

When asked by a reporter on site if he liked the weather, Kononenko said he was 'happy to see any kind of weather' after spending 204 days in space.

The crew will be flown by helicopter to the Kazakh town of Karaganda for a welcoming ceremony before the Russian cosmonaut flies back to Star City near Moscow and McClain and Saint-Jacques fly back to Houston.

The astronauts had taken part in experiments and space walks while aboard the ISS, Collect Space reported.

Kononenko has now stayed for 737 days in space, making him the sixth in the world for most time spent away from the Earth. </s> The last Canadian astronaut to visit the space station was Chris Hadfield, who was on a five-month mission that ended in May 2013

The Soyuz-FG rocket booster with Soyuz MS-11 space ship carrying a new crew to the International Space Station, ISS, blasts off at the Russian leased Baikonur cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, Monday, Dec. 3, 2018. The Russian rocket carries U.S. astronaut Anne McClain, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko‚Äé and CSA astronaut David Saint Jacques. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky)

Canadian astronaut David Saint-Jacques blasted through the skies over Kazakhstan early Monday in what appeared to be a seamless launch of a Russian Soyuz rocket bound for the International Space Station.

The 48-year-old doctor and astronaut lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome with Anne McClain of NASA and Oleg Kononenko of the Russian space agency, Roscosmos.

The launch of the Soyuz MS-11 spacecraft appeared to go exactly as planned at the precise liftoff time of 6:31 a.m. Eastern.

“We have liftoff,” a commentator said on NASA television as the rocket roared into the sky under 930 pounds of thrust and a speed of 1,770 kilometres per hour. “Everything looking good, vehicle is stable — good first stage performance.”

The crew reported that all went well in those critical initial minutes after liftoff and were safely in orbit.

Back on Canadian soil, a crowd monitored the launch from the Canadian Space Agency in Longueuil, Que., as the rocket began its roughly six-hour transit to the space station.

RELATED: US, Russian astronauts safe after emergency landing in October

Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains praised the successful takeoff and said the mission offers an exciting opportunity for scientific research and developments that could have broad applications, in such things as robotics and aging.

“Space represents a lot of opportunities for a lot of Canadians,” he said at the agency office. “It really is inspirational what David represents…today is an incredible day in space.”

Astronaut Jenni Sidey-Gibbons echoed the message, saying Saint-Jacques was a special role model for her and other young people who may be considering a future in space.

“That was particularly important for me when I was growing up and I certainly wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for Canada’s early space program and, kind of, the heroes that pushed that forward,” she said. “It’s incredible.”

It was the first manned Russian rocket launch since a dramatic aborted Soyuz failure in October.

RELATED: Canadian astronaut who flew to space but faced biggest challenges on solid ground

On Oct. 11, a rocket failure forced a Soyuz capsule carrying two astronauts to abort and make an emergency landing.

Russia suspended all manned space launches pending an investigation before giving the green light Nov. 1.

Saint-Jacques has spent years training for the six-month mission, which was originally scheduled for Dec. 20 but was moved up after the aborted Soyuz launch.

Aboard the station, he will conduct a number of science experiments, with some focusing on the physical effects of the weak gravity astronauts experience in orbit as well as how to provide remote medical care.

Former astronaut Robert Thirsk said the schedule will be especially busy for the trio.

“Every five-minute increment of our life is scheduled, and that will be the same for David also,” he said at the space agency office. “The challenge for him will be to pace himself to accomplish the work that’s expected of him.”

It was expected the crowd on the ground watching the liftoff in Kazakhstan would include members of Saint-Jacques’ family as well as Gov. Gen. Julie Payette, herself a former astronaut.

Payette, who completed missions to the space station in 1999 and 2009, had said the most dangerous moments come immediately following the launch as the rocket passes through several “critical zones” on its way into space.

The last Canadian astronaut to visit the space station was Chris Hadfield, who was on a five-month mission that ended in May 2013.

Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. </s> David Saint-Jacques returned to Earth on Monday after more than six months aboard the International Space Station. The native of Saint-Lambert, Que., has set a record for the longest single spaceflight by a Canadian at 204 days.

He was among three astronauts that safely returned to Earth after spending more than six months aboard the International Space Station.

The Soyuz capsule with the astronauts from Canada, Russia and the United States landed in the steppes of Kazakhstan at 8:47 a.m. (02:47 GMT), less than a minute ahead of the scheduled time, after a 3 1/2 hour flight from the orbiting lab.

Two of the astronauts had completed their maiden flights: Anne McClain of the United States and Saint-Jacques.

The expedition commander Oleg Kononenko of Russia has ended his fourth space mission.

All three spent 204 days in space.

Americans Nick Hague and Christina Koch and Russia’s Alexey Ovchinin remain aboard the space station. </s> Russian space agency rescue team help Russian cosmonaut Оleg Kononenko, center, to get from the capsule shortly after the landing of the Russian Soyuz MS-11 space capsule about 150 km (80 miles) south east of the Kazakh town of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, Tuesday, June 25, 2019. Three astronauts safely returned to Earth on Tuesday after spending more than six months aboard the International Space Station. (Alexander Nemenov/Pool Photo via AP)

MOSCOW (AP) — Three astronauts safely returned to Earth on Tuesday after spending more than six months aboard the International Space Station.

The Soyuz capsule with astronauts from Canada, Russia and the United States landed in the steppes of Kazakhstan at 8:47 a.m. (0247GMT), less than a minute ahead of the scheduled time, on Tuesday after a 3 ½ hour flight from the orbiting lab.

Two of the astronauts had completed their maiden flights: Anne McClain of the United States and David Saint-Jacques of Canada. The expedition commander Oleg Kononenko of Russia has ended his fourth space mission. All three spent 204 days in space.

Americans Nick Hague and Christina Koch and Russia’s Alexey Ovchinin remain aboard the space station.

The space veteran Kononenko who was the first one to have been extracted from the capsule looked visibly tired and pale. McClain and Saint-Jacques were more energetic and gave a thumbs-up to the recovery team who greeted the three with applause.

The astronauts were put on camping chairs in the sun just by the capsule for a respite and initial medical checks.

When asked by a reporter on site if he liked the weather Kononenko said he was “happy to see any kind of weather” after spending over 200 days in space.

The crew is expected to be taken to a local airport and fly to their home bases. </s> Three astronauts safely returned to Earth on Tuesday after spending more than six months aboard the International Space Station.

The Soyuz capsule with astronauts from Canada, Russia and the United States landed in the steppes of Kazakhstan at 8:47 a.m. (0247GMT), less than a minute ahead of the scheduled time, on Tuesday after a 3 ½ hour flight from the orbiting lab.

Two of the astronauts had completed their maiden flights: Anne McClain of the United States and David Saint-Jacques of Canada. The expedition commander Oleg Kononenko of Russia has ended his fourth space mission. All three spent 204 days in space.

 



Americans Nick Hague and Christina Koch and Russia's Alexey Ovchinin remain aboard the space station.

The space veteran Kononenko who was the first one to have been extracted from the capsule looked visibly tired and pale. McClain and Saint-Jacques were more energetic and gave a thumbs-up to the recovery team who greeted the three with applause.

The astronauts were put on camping chairs in the sun just by the capsule for a respite and initial medical checks.

When asked by a reporter on site if he liked the weather Kononenko said he was "happy to see any kind of weather" after spending over 200 days in space.

The crew is expected to be taken to a local airport and fly to their home bases. </s> BAIKONUR COSMODROME, Kazakhstan — Canadian astronaut David Saint-Jacques blasted off from Kazakhstan this morning aboard a Russian Soyuz rocket bound for the International Space Station.

The 48-year-old doctor and astronaut lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome with Anne McClain of NASA and Oleg Kononenko of the Russian space agency, Roscosmos.

The launch appeared to go smoothly from Kazakhstan at the precise liftoff time of 6:31 a.m. eastern time.

The crew was reporting that all was going well in the critical initial minutes after liftoff and were safely in orbit.

It was the first manned Russian rocket launch since a dramatic aborted Soyuz failure in October.

On Oct. 11, a rocket failure forced a Soyuz capsule carrying two astronauts to abort and make an emergency landing.

Russia suspended all manned space launches pending an investigation before giving the green light Nov. 1.

Saint-Jacques has spent years training for the six-month mission, which was originally scheduled for Dec. 20 but was moved up after the aborted Soyuz launch.

Aboard the station, he will conduct a number of science experiments, with some focusing on the physical effects of the weak gravity astronauts experience in orbit as well as how to provide remote medical care.

It was expected the crowd on the ground watching the liftoff in Kazakhstan would include members of Saint-Jacques’ family as well as Gov. Gen. Julie Payette, herself a former astronaut.

Payette, who completed missions to the space station in 1999 and 2009, says the most dangerous moments come immediately following the launch as the rocket passes through several “critical zones” on its way into space.

The last Canadian astronaut to visit the space station was Chris Hadfield, who was on a five-month mission that ended in May 2013. </s> A Soyuz spacecraft carrying a Russian cosmonaut and two astronauts from the United States and Canada has returned back to Earth.

 

 Expedition commander Oleg Kononenko of Roscosmos, NASA astronaut Anne McClain, and Canadian Space Agency’s David Saint-Jacques touched down on the steppes of southeastern Kazakhstan on June 25 after spending 204 days in space.

 

 It was Kononenko’s fourth space mission.

 

 Russia's Aleksei Ovchinin and two U.S. astronaut, Nick Hague and Christina Koch, remain aboard the International Space Station.

 

 The trio is to be joined by Andrew Morgan of NASA, Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency, and Aleksandr Skvortsov of Roscosmos in July.

 

 In October 2018, a Soyuz spacecraft that Hague and Ovchinin were riding in failed two minutes into its flight, activating a rescue system that allowed their capsule to land safely.

 

 That accident was the Russian space program's first aborted crew launch since 1983, when two Soviet cosmonauts safely jettisoned after a launch pad explosion.

Based on reporting by AFP and AP </s> Three astronauts have safely returned to Earth after spending more than six months aboard the International Space Station.

Three astronauts have safely returned to Earth after spending more than six months aboard the International Space Station.

Three astronauts return to Earth after six months aboard International Space Station

The Soyuz capsule with astronauts from Canada, Russia and the United States landed in the steppes of Kazakhstan at 8.47am local time (1.47am Irish time) on Tuesday, less than a minute ahead of the scheduled time, after a three-and-a-half-hour flight from the orbiting lab.

Two of the astronauts had completed their maiden flights - Anne McClain of the United States and David Saint-Jacques of Canada.

The expedition commander Oleg Kononenko of Russia has ended his fourth space mission. All three spent 204 days in space.

Americans Nick Hague and Christina Koch and Russia's Alexey Ovchinin remain aboard the space station.

Space veteran Mr Kononenko, who was the first one to be extracted from the capsule, looked visibly tired and pale.

Ms McClain and Mr Saint-Jacques were more energetic and gave a thumbs-up to the recovery team who greeted the three with applause.

The astronauts were put on camping chairs in the sun just by the capsule for some respite and initial medical checks.

When asked by a reporter on site if he liked the weather, Mr Kononenko said he was "happy to see any kind of weather" after spending over 200 days in space.

The crew is expected to be taken to a local airport before flying to their home bases. </s> Canadian astronaut David Saint-Jacques and two international colleagues joined the crew at the International Space Station on Monday following a successful launch aboard a Soyuz rocket earlier in the day.

Saint-Jacques, 48, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko and American astronaut Anne McClain are on a mission that is scheduled to last 6½​ months.

Chris Hadfield explains what happens when fellow Canadian astronaut David Saint-Jacques and Russian astronaut Oleg Kononenko and American astronaut Anne McClain are launched into space aboard a Soyuz rocket, en route to the International Space Station. 12:10

The trio entered the International Space Station after spending nearly eight hours in their tiny capsule.

They were greeted upon arrival Monday by the station's current crew members, NASA's Serena Aunon-Chancellor, Russian Sergei Prokopyev and German Alexander Gerst, who were waiting outside the capsule's hatch when it opened at 1:37 a.m. (2:40 p.m. ET) while the station was flying over the southern coast of Yemen. Aunon-Chancellor, Prokopyev and Gerst are scheduled to return to Earth on Dec. 20.

During a brief conversation with family members on the ground at the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch site in Kazakhstan, Saint-Jacques said he was completely astounded by everything he had seen.

Speaking in French, he described his first sunrise seen from space as "breathtaking" and said it's just the beginning of the discoveries ahead of him.

Canadian astronaut David Saint-Jacques lifts off with two other crew members bound for the International Space Station on Monday. 0:54

Saint-Jacques, Kononenko and McClain launched into space from the Russian-leased Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Monday at 5:31 p.m. (6:31 a.m. ET). They docked with the station at 11:33 p.m. (12:33 p.m. ET). The families of the crew, other astronauts and space officials from several nations breathed a sigh of relief after observing the flawless launch, with October's Soyuz rocket failure still on the minds of many.

It was the first manned Russian rocket launch since a dramatic aborted Soyuz failure in October, when the two astronauts aboard were forced to make an emergency landing.

Russia suspended all manned space launches pending an investigation before giving the green light to resume them on Nov. 1.

It's the first time a Canadian has been in space since 2013, when Chris Hadfield gained immense popularity around the world by providing glimpses — and the occasional musical performance — into daily life on board the orbiting laboratory.

The Soyuz MS-11 spacecraft carrying the crew formed of David Saint-Jacques of Canada, Oleg Kononenko of Russia and Anne McClain of the U.S. blasts off to the International Space Station (ISS) from the launchpad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, on Monday. (Shamil Zhumatov/Reuters)

Saint-Jacques — a doctor who also holds degrees in engineering and astrophysics as well as a commercial pilot's licence — was initially scheduled to head to the ISS later this month, on Dec. 20. However, his launch was moved up after the Soyuz malfunction in October.

He'll spend his time at the ISS conducting experiments, operating Canadarm2 (the Canadian-built robotic arm aboard the ISS) and testing new technologies, the Canadian Space Agency says. Some of the experiments will focus on the physical effects of the weak gravity astronauts experience in orbit, as well as how to provide remote medical care.

The crowd on hand to watch the launch included members of Saint-Jacques' family as well as Governor General Julie Payette, herself a former astronaut.

This could be the last time a Canadian launches on board a Soyuz: NASA is preparing to return human launches to U.S. soil beginning in 2019, with two new crew capsules provided by SpaceX and Boeing.
Soyuz MS-11 returned to Earth, landing in Kazakhstan, from the International Space Station carrying Canadian David Saint-Jacques, American Anne McClain and Russian Oleg Kononenko. The astronauts and cosmonaut spent 204 days aboard the ISS, a record for Canada.