Snowy Soyuz Spaceship Landing

Honey, I'm Home!

NASA astronaut Jeffrey Williams makes a satellite phone call after returning to Earth on March 18, 2010 to end his six-month mission to the International Space Station. Williams, an American, commanded the station's Expedition 22 mission.

Russian Soyuz TMA-16

The Russian Soyuz TMA-16 spacecraft carrying astronaut Jeff Williams and cosmonaut Maxim Suraev is seen undocking from the International Space Station on March 18, 2010 in this photo taken from inside the station by Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi. He l

The Long Way Home

The shadow of a contrail behind the Soyuz TMA-16 spaceship returning Expedition 22 astronauts Jeff Williams, mission commander, and flight engineer Maximn Suraev can be seen cutting across the Earth in this view of their re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere o

Descent

After safely re-entering Earth’s atmosphere, astronaut Jeffrey Williams of NASA and cosmonaut Maxim Suraev of Russia slowly descend toward Earth under the safety of their main parachute over the snow-covered steppes of Kazakhstan in Central Asia. This vie

Hang time

A close-up of the Soyuz TMA-16 spacecraft returning two Expedition 22 spaceflyers from the International Space Station shows their bell-shaped descent module dangling beneath the sturdy lines of their main parachute on March 18, 2010 over Kazakhstan in Ce

Rolling Like a Tumbleweed

Just after the Russian Soyuz TMA-16 spacecraft landed on March 18, 2010, strong winds caught its main parachute and dragged it nearly 30 feet along the ground while American astronaut Jeff Williams and cosmonaut Maxim Suraev were strapped inside, waiting

Touchdown!

With a jarring “whump!” the Russian Soyuz TMA-16 spaceship carrying Expedition 22 crewmembers Jeffrey Williams and Maxim Suraev touches down in nearly four feet of snow on the frigid, windy steppes of Kazakhstan in Central Asia on March 18, 2010. They spe

Wait for it...Wait for it

Just seconds before landing on the snow-covered steppes of Kazakhstan on March 18, 2010, the Russian Soyuz spacecraft carrying astronauts Jeffrey Williams and Maxim Suraev home from the International Space Station prepares to fire retrorockets to slow its

Almost There...

This seemingly serene scene, taken by a NASA photographer aboard a helicopter in flight, shows the Russian Soyuz TMA-16 spacecraft bringing astronaut Jeffrey Williams and cosmonaut Maxim Suraev home on March 18, 2010. The pair were just minutes from landi

Waiting for Touchdown

A recovery helicopter circles the Russian Soyuz TMA-16 spacecraft returning spaceflyers Jeffrey Williams and Maxim Suraev home from a six-month trip to the International Space Station on March 18, 2010 as they landed in Kazakhstan on a snowy, windy day.

Lines and Bars

Parallel lines cutting across the steppe of Kazakhstan in Central Asia hint at the presence of residents in the remote region as a Russian Soyuz TMA-16 spacecraft makes its way to Earth on March 18, 2010 to return Expedition 22 crewmembers Jeffrey William