ASTANA, Kazakhstan (AP) -- South African space tourist Mark Shuttleworth set aside the last day of his $20 million trip into space Saturday to do something every traveler can identify with -- catch up on some sleep.
The 28-year-old Internet magnate heads back to Earth on Sunday, ending a 10-day journey into space that he described as living a dream.
But Shuttleworth's mission to the International Space Station was also jam-packed with experiments and projects, enough to keep the world's second paying space tourist busy at work from 6 a.m. to about 11:30 p.m. GMT most days.
He allowed himself an extra hour of sleep Saturday, knowing that he'd likely not find much time for relaxing before preparing to undock from the space station for the more than three-hour descent to Earth in the Russian Soyuz spacecraft.
Five Russian planes, nine helicopters and five cross-country rescue vehicles were on call to retrieve Shuttleworth and his two crewmates, Flight Commander Yuri Gidzenko and rookie Italian astronaut Roberto Vittori, from their landing in the barren Kazakh steppes.
"He is feeling a bit sad because he is leaving the station, but also very excited. He's looking forward to the return,'' said Dale Cupido, a Shuttleworth aide based at Russia's Mission Control.
Russian technicians, working from Earth, test-fired the Soyuz's engines Thursday in preparation for departure. A few hours before undocking, the Soyuz crew will switch on the power, squeeze into their spacesuits and strap themselves snugly into the cramped quarters. The three-ton capsule will resemble a fiery ball as it plunges at 10 times the speed of sound through the Earth's atmosphere, its outer wall reaching temperatures of 18,000 degrees.
But after breaking through, a natural drag will slow the capsule down and roughly one minute from impact, a parachute should automatically open, reducing its speed even further.
Just seconds before touching ground, the capsule's engines fire in an attempt to give the crew a ``soft'' landing, said Shuttleworth's father, Rick, who flew to Kazakhstan to welcome his eldest son home.
But even a soft landing can still shake up the crew, whose bodies must quickly adjust from zero-gravity to Earth's gravitational pull. The Russian Soyuz capsule is also known to frequently end up on its side during landing.
When the world's first space tourist, American businessman Dennis Tito, returned from his flight last year, he followed an already popular tradition and took advantage of the help offered him -- choosing to be carried in his chair after landing rather than testing out his still-unsteady legs.
"It could be a rocky landing,'' Rick Shuttleworth said. "I'll be interested to see how Mark is feeling.''
After landing, Shuttleworth and the other crew will be evaluated by Russian medical experts, then the trio will return to Russia's Star City for another few days of observation.
Rick Shuttleworth said when his son is cleared by medical experts, his family plans to take him on vacation. He didn't give the location, but it obviously will be closer to home.
Like every tourist, Shuttleworth is bringing back some souvenirs. Along with his spacesuit, the wealthy entrepreneur has purchased the capsule that will carry him home.
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