Soyuz TMA-15 landing capsule. photo by Reuters
Roman Romanenko just after landing. photo by Reuters
On December 1, 2009 the Soyuz TMA-15 spacecraft with Russian Roman Romanenko, Belgian Frank De Winne and Canadian Robert Thirsk on board returned to Earth.
Descending under a large orange-and-white parachute, the Soyuz TMA-15 landing capsule made a rocket-assisted touchdown in 84 kilometers (about 50 miles) north of Arkalyk, Kazakhstan, at 07:16 UTC.
The flight duration is 187 days, 20 hours, 41 minutes.
It was the first December landing of a Soyuz since 1990 but the Russians said the weather was acceptable for a safe descent.
Monitoring the re-entry and landing from the International Space Station were Expedition 22 commander Jeffrey Williams and flight engineer Maxim Suraev, who arrived at the outpost in early October. Attachments: | 
