Brazil's first astronaut back on earth

Moscow, Apr 9 (EFE)- Brazil's first astronaut returned to earth early Sunday with a Russian-American crew from the International Space Station and was reported in good condition.

Brazilian astronaut Marcos Pontes, U.S. astronaut William McArthur and Russian cosmonaut Valery Tokarev landed on the steppes of Kazakhstan, in central Asia, and were later flown to Moscow.

Tokarev and McArthur had been at the space station since October.

Russian television broadcast images of the three men smiling and waving to well-wishers at the airport in Moscow.

The three were met at the airport by family, friends and officials from the Brazilian, Russian and U.S. space agencies.

Pontes, McArthur and Tokarev were taken to the Star City astronaut base, northeast of Moscow, where they will undergo medical tests and several weeks of training to help them readjust to the gravity on earth.

Pontes blasted into orbit March 30 aboard a Russian Soyuz rocket from the Baikonur space complex in Kazakhstan along with American astronaut Jeffrey Williams and Russian cosmonaut Pavel Vinogradov, who relieved Tokarev and McArthur at the International Space Station.

The 43-year-old air force colonel spent 11 days in space as part of what was called the "Centenary" mission - named in honor of the first public flight of a powered aircraft 100 years ago by Brazilian aviation pioneer Alberto Santo Dumont.

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posted by nscafuro @ 5:14 PM