Expedition 14 Returns to Earth

By Fraser Cain - April 24, 2007 at 3:53 PM UTC | Space Exploration

The two crewmembers of Expedition 14 returned to Earth on Saturday, with astro-tourist Charles Simonyi along for the ride. Commander Mike Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin had been aboard the International Space Station since September 20th, while Simonyi arrived on April 7th. Their Soyuz TMA-9 capsule touched down in the Central Asian steppes of Kazakhstan at 1231 GMT (8:31 am EDT).

The mission saw several records. Mike Lopez-Alegria set a new US record for the longest single spaceflight, reaching 215-days in space during Expedition 14. And billionaire Charles Simonyi was in space for 14 days - the longest flight for a paying tourist.

The landing itself was pushed back a day because heavy rains made the landing site difficult to land at. It was eventually moved to another site, drier and further south.

NASA News Release

Fraser Cain

Fraser Cain

Fraser Cain is the publisher of Universe Today, founding the website in March 1999. He's also the co-host of Astronomy Cast.