Record-breaking Return: Soyuz Capsule Lands Safely in Kazakhstan

A Soyuz capsule carrying two Russians and one American landed in Kazakhstan after an incident-free descent. Russian astronauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub concluded a 374-day mission, setting a new record. American Tracy Dyson also returned. Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams will return with SpaceX next year due to thruster issues with the Starliner capsule.

A Soyuz capsule carrying two Russians and an American from the International Space Station made a successful landing in Kazakhstan on Monday, concluding a record-breaking mission for the Russian astronauts.

Touchdown occurred about 3 1/2 hours after undocking from the space station. The capsule descended onto the Kazakh steppe under a red-and-white parachute at about 7.2 meters per second (16 mph), with final rockets firing to cushion the landing.

Russian astronauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub, who spent 374 days aboard the ISS, set a new record for the longest continuous stay in space. American astronaut Tracy Dyson returned after a six-month stint. Meanwhile, eight astronauts remain on the ISS, including Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who arrived in June on Boeing's Starliner capsule but faced technical issues. They will return with SpaceX next year.