Soyuz Landing Photos: Expedition 49 Returns to Earth

Welcome Home, Expedition 49!

NASA/Bill Ingalls

Expedition 49 crew members returned to Earth after spending 115 days aboard the International Space Station. The three space travelers arrived via parachute and executed a flawless landing in a remote region in Kazakhstan at 9:58 a.m. local time on Sunday, Oct. 30 (or 11:58 p.m. EDT on Oct. 29).

Read our full story about the landing here.

A Joyous Occasion

NASA/Bill Ingalls

NASA astronaut Kate Rubins, Russian cosmonaut Anatoly Ivanishin of Roscosmos, and astronaut Takuya Onishi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) rest while getting reacquainted with Earth's gravity after exiting the Soyuz spacecraft. Behind them sits the small Soyuz MS-01 spacecraft that delivered the crew safely to the ground.

Read our full story about the landing here.

Preparing to Deploy

NASA/Bill Ingalls

Russian Search and Rescue teams prepared for the return of Expedition 49 crew members. Several helicopters monitored the Soyuz spacecraft's re-entry and landing before meeting the crew at the landing site.

Read our full story about the landing here.

Flying to the Landing Site

NASA/Bill Ingalls

Several Russian Search and Rescue helicopters flew to Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, for the Soyuz MS-01 landing. NASA photographer Bill Ingalls flew along in one of the helicopters to capture the views from the sky before meeting the Expedition 49 crew on the ground.

Read our full story about the landing here.

Coming into View

NASA/Bill Ingalls

The Soyuz spacecraft comes into view as it drops through the clouds with its parachute deployed.

Read our full story about the landing here.

Closer to Home

NASA/Bill Ingalls

Rays of sunshine beam through the clouds to illuminate the Soyuz spacecraft during its descent.

Read our full story about the landing here.

Picture-Perfect Descent

NASA/Bill Ingalls

The morning sky and Kazakh landscape set a glorious scene for the smooth descent of the Expedition 49 crew as they returned from the International Space Station.

Read our full story about the landing here.

Almost Home

NASA/Bill Ingalls

Search and Rescue teams hover nearby as the Soyuz MS-01 carrying the Expedition 49 crew comes in for a landing.

Read our full story about the landing here.

Prepare for Impact

NASA/Bill Ingalls

The Soyuz MS-01 with the Expedition 49 crew inside, readies for touchdown in a remote area outside the town of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan.

Read our full story about the landing here.

Touchdown!

NASA/Bill Ingalls

The Soyuz MS-01 spacecraft hits the ground, bringing the trio of crew members back to Earth.

Read our full story about the landing here.

Dusty But Clean Landing

NASA/Bill Ingalls

As the Soyuz spacecraft met the ground, a large plume of dust was left in its wake. The landing went smoothly with no major problems to report.

Read our full story about the landing here.

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Christine Lunsford
Producer and Contributing Writer

Christine Lunsford joined the Space.com team in 2010 as a freelance producer and later became a contributing writer, covering astrophotography images, astronomy photos and amazing space galleries and more. During her more than 10 years with Space.com, oversaw the site's monthly skywatching updates and produced overnight features and stories on the latest space discoveries. She enjoys learning about subjects of all kinds.