Oleg Kotov

A Russian Soyuz spacecraft on Wednesday brought a Russian cosmonaut and US and Japanese astronauts safely back to Earth on the steppe of Kazakhstan after a five-and-a-half month stay in space.

KOROLYOV, Russia (Reuters) - A Russian Soyuz spacecraft containing an international trio of astronauts who oversaw the final assembly stage of a $100 billion space station landed safely on Kazakhstan's steppe on Wednesday.

Russian space capsule with 3 astronauts from space station lands in Kazakhstan. A Russian Soyuz capsule carrying three astronauts back from a five-month mission on the International Space Station landed early Wednesday in the steppes of Kazakhstan.

New U.S.-Russian space crew qualify for their mission. The next U.S.-Russian crew for the international space station said Monday they are fully ready for their mission even though they initially flunked one of their tests.

Shuttle Atlantis undocks from space station after week together to deliver new room, batteries. After a week of flying together, shuttle Atlantis undocked from a larger and virtually completed International Space Station on Sunday and headed for home on its final voyage.

2 space crews say goodbye, close hatches between shuttle and station for undocking. It's almost check-out time for space shuttle Discovery.

The crew of the US shuttle Discovery were welcomed with hugs and handshakes Wednesday aboard the International Space Station after a successful docking high over the Caribbean.

Astronauts send Easter greetings after Soyuz craft docks at International Space Station. A U.S.-Russian space team sent their Easter greetings down to Earth Sunday after their Soyuz spacecraft docked flawlessly at the International Space Station.

A Russian rocket carrying three astronauts from Russia and the United States docked at the International Space Station (ISS) Sunday, the Russian flight control centre said.

Rocket carrying 2 cosmonauts, 1 astronaut blasts off for a busy week at space station. A Russian rocket carrying three astronauts blasted off in southern Kazakhstan on Friday, kicking off a tightly packed schedule at the International Space Station in the coming days.

Three astronauts blasted off Friday for the International Space Station (ISS) on a Russian rocket as the clock ticks down to the retirement of the US space shuttle later this year.

BAIKONUR, Kazakhstan (Reuters) - A U.S.-Russian crew blasted off in a Russian Soyuz space ship on Friday for a half-year odyssey aboard the International Space Station.

Rocket carrying 2 cosmonauts, 1 astronaut blasts off from Kazakhstan to space station. A Russian rocket blasted off from a space center in southern Kazakhstan into brilliant blue skies Friday, transporting a NASA astronaut and two Russian cosmonauts to the International Space Station.

Astronauts get go ahead for Good Friday launch for mission to the International Space Station. A NASA astronaut and two Russian colleagues received the thumbs-up Thursday for a mission that will boost the population of the International Space Station to six.

A US astronaut mourned the closure of the "tremendous" NASA space shuttle programme Thursday, as she prepared to blast off to the International Space Station (ISS).

A US astronaut mourned the closure of the "tremendous" NASA space shuttle programme Thursday, as she prepared to blast off to the International Space Station (ISS).

A US astronaut mourned the closure of the "tremendous" NASA space shuttle programme Thursday, as she prepared to blast off to the International Space Station (ISS).

A US astronaut mourned the closure of the "tremendous" NASA space shuttle programme Thursday, as she prepared to blast off to the International Space Station (ISS).

Russian cosmonaut Alexander Skvortsov brandished a small toy duck Friday as he and his crewmates prepared to blast off to the International Space Station (ISS) in April.

MOSCOW (Reuters) - A Russian Soyuz space capsule carrying a U.S. astronaut and a Russian cosmonaut from the International Space Station landed safely in Kazakhstan on Thursday.