Russian spacecraft lands off-target

Source: CCTV.com | 04-20-2008 14:14

South Korea's first female astronaut and the other two crew members are safe after the Russian Soyuz spacecraft landed several hundred kilometers off target in northern Kazakhstan.

Steve Lindsey, Chief of NASA's Astronaut office, left, and Michael Sufferdini, International Station Program Manager, examine a map of central Kazakhstan as they received information at the Arkalyk airport April 19, 2008 on the landing of the Expedition 16 crew in the  Soyuz TMA-11 capsule. The Soyuz made a ballistic landing, touching down more then 400 kilometers (260 miles) short of the intended target, but the crew reported by satellite phone to recovery forces that they were  in good shape.(AP Photo)

Russia's mission control center says the craft touched down 420 kilometers from its planned target, and 20 minutes later than scheduled.

The three aboard were South Korean bio-engineer Yi So-yeon, American astronaut Peggy Whitson and Russian flight engineer Yuri Malenchenko.

Rescue and search groups evacuated the cosmonauts from the capsule and they are now safe and sound.

Yi So-yeon said, "Most difficult thing...I can't think of a most difficult thing. I always say spinning chair is a really big problem for me. Except that all is exciting and all is fantastic. And the most interesting thing is that I can say that I can fly in cosmos even though there is so small place we can go back and forward freely."

Officials said the craft followed a so-called "ballistic re-entry" a very steep trajectory that subjects the crew to extreme physical force.

The crew experienced gravitational forces up to 10 times those on Earth during the descent but their condition is satisfactory.

Chief Vasili Tsybliyev, Chief of Russian Space Training Center, said, "Everything is normal. They are smiling, so everything is good. Congratulations. Thank you. Everything is normal."

A ballistic landing is rare and has only happened twice in the history of the International Space Station in 2003 and again last year.

Editor:Yang Jie