Snowy Soyuz Spaceship Landing

Page 2 of 2:

Page 2

Ample Fields of White

The Soyuz spacecraft landing zone on the steppes of Kazakhstan was blanketed with nearly four feet of snow. — NASA/Bill Ingalls

Nearly four feet of snow blanketed the landing zone on the frigid steppes of Kazakhstan in Central Asia when the Russian Soyuz TMA-16 spacecraft safely returned to Earth on March 18, 2010 with Expedition 22 astronauts Jeffrey Williams and Maxim Suraev abo

The Spaceship

Recovery crews attend to the descent module of the Soyuz TMA-16 spacecraft. The bell-shaped capsule is the only part of the Russian spacecraft that survives the re-entry to Earth during Soyuz landings and successfully returned Expedition 22 crewmembers Je

Back on Earth

The Soyuz spacecraft crew smile for photographers after landing in Kazakhstan to end their six-month space mission. — NASA/Bill Ingalls

Expedition 22 commander Jeffrey Williams (left) of NASA and flight engineer Maxim Suraev of Russia smile for photographers after landing on March 18, 2010 in Kazakhstan to end their six-month mission to the International Space Station.

All Bundled Up

Russian cosmonaut Maxim Suraev, mission engineer, being assisted following the successful landing of the Soyuz spacecraft. — NASA/Bill Ingalls

Russian cosmonaut Maxim Suraev, Expedition 22 flight engineer, smiles as recovery crews assist him following the successful March 18, 2010 landing of his Soyuz TMA-16 spacecraft on the snow-covered steppes of Kazakhstan in Central Asia.

Commander on Deck!

NASA astronaut, Jeffrey Williams, mission commander being helped out of the Soyuz TMA-16 spacecraft after landing on the frozen steppes. — NASA/Bill Ingalls

Expedition 22 commander Jeffrey Williams, a NASA astronaut, is helped out of his Soyuz TMA-16 spacecraft after landing on the frozen steppes of Kazakhstan in Central Asian on March 18, 2010 to end a six-month spaceflight to the International Space Station

Copter Crew

Soyuz spacecraft recovery helicopters waiting to take the Soyuz crew home after a successful landing. — NASA/Bill Ingalls

Recovery helicopters wait on snowy landscape to return the Expedition 22 crew back home from the frigid steppes of Kazakhstan in Central Asia after their successful Soyuz TMA-16 landing on March 18, 2010 to end their six-month spaceflight.

On the Ground

Soyuz spacecraft recovery helicopters take center stage as recovery teams prepare to retrieve the two Expedition 22 astronauts after landing in Kazakhstan. — NASA/Bill Ingalls

With rotor blades still whirring, recovery helicopters take center stage in this photo taken as recovery teams prepared to retrieve the two Expedition 22 astronauts who landed on the frozen steppes of Kazakhstan on March 18, 2010.

Stark Landscape on the Ground

The Soyuz spacecraft recovery helicopters highlight the vast steppes of Kazakhstan as the spacecraft is retrieved. — NASA/Bill Ingalls

The vast steppes of Kazakhstan are highlighted in this view of the recovery helicopters on scene to retrieve the Soyuz TMA-16 spacecraft and its two-man crew after their March 18, 2010 landing in Central Asia.

Goodbye Space

Two American astronauts waving from Russian-built Soyuz spacecraft — NASA

Two space men, American astronaut Jeff Williams (right) and Russian cosmonaut Maxim Suraev returned to Earth aboard a Russian-built Soyuz spacecraft on March 18, 2010, ending a nearly 6-month mission with a snowy, windy landing. Here, the two men wave far

Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: community@space.com.

Current page: Page 2

Prev Page Page 1

Space.com is the premier source of space exploration, innovation and astronomy news, chronicling (and celebrating) humanity's ongoing expansion across the final frontier. Originally founded in 1999, Space.com is, and always has been, the passion of writers and editors who are space fans and also trained journalists. Our current news team consists of Editor-in-Chief Tariq Malik; Editor Hanneke Weitering, Senior Space Writer Mike Wall; Senior Writer Meghan Bartels; Senior Writer Chelsea Gohd, Senior Writer Tereza Pultarova and Staff Writer Alexander Cox, focusing on e-commerce. Senior Producer Steve Spaleta oversees our space videos, with Diana Whitcroft as our Social Media Editor.