An American astronaut and two Russian cosmonauts have landed safely and on time in Kazakhstan, ending their 166-day stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
Russians Oleg Kotov and Sergei Ryazansky and NASA astronaut Mike Hopkins defied bad weather, touching down in their Soyuz capsule outside of Dzhezkazgan in Kazakhstan, according to Reuters.
"Safe arrival back on Earth," said a NASA TV announcer as the three landed on Earth. "The crew are reported to be in good health."
The trio launched together into space back on Sept. 25.
After landing, the trio were seated in semi-reclined chairs in the deep snow and covered with blue blankets to protect them from strong wind, according to Reuters.
Kotov could be seen waving his left hand with a palm black from the soot of the descent. Hopkins, the least experienced of three, was seen smiling as a doctor checked his pulse.
Kotov and Ryazansky worked on 35 science experiments during their time at the ISS, along with carrying the unlit Olympic torch for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games outside the station during a spacewalk back on Nov. 9.
Originally there was great concern over Soyuz's landing due to expected severe weather in Kazakhstan.
Before undocking from the ISS, low visibility and fog prevented recovery teams and airborne rescue from reaching Zhezkazgan, which is located about 90 miles from the landing site, according to Reuters.
Russian officials decided to go ahead with the landing after analyzing multiple weather forecasts.
"There's a lot of snow on the ground and temperatures are hovering in the single-digits (Fahrenheit)," said NASA mission commentator Dan Huot.
The severe weather conditions prevented them from setting up an inflatable tent for routine medical tests at the landing site however, according to Reuters. They were forced to put the crew under quick tests instead, before flying them away from the scene via helicopters.
A formal welcome ceremony will be held in local Kazakh town of Karaganda, according to Reuters.
The $100 billion research complex, which flies about 260 miles above Earth, according to NASA. It has been staffed by rotating crews of astronauts and cosmonauts ever since November 2000.
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