Three space pioneers safely back on solid ground

Russian spotters carry astronaut Ken Bowersox at the landing site of the Soyuz space capsule that returned him and two others to Earth.

Two American astronauts and one Russian cosmonaut returned safely to Earth on Sunday. They had been working at the International Space Station (ISS) for 161 days. The three men had been scheduled to return two months ago, but they were unable to do so because U.S. space shuttles, which would have brought them home, have been grounded since the space shuttle Columbia broke up during its re-entry into Earth's atmosphere on February 1.

The crew returned to solid ground aboard a Russian Soyuz space capsule. Scientists are investigating why the capsule landed in an area of Kazakhstan that was 285 miles away from its target.

To date, the Soyuz has been a reliable form of space transportation. The capsule aboard which the three-man crew returned on Sunday is an upgraded model of technology that had been developed in the 1960s. Investigators hope to determine why it had trouble landing on target.

Russian Space Agency planes and helicopters searched for the astronauts for two hours before locating the capsule. The crew was found to be in good health, though the capsule had been turned over. Scientists believe the Soyuz's parachute dragged the capsule about 12 meters after it touched down.

RESOURCES • CNN.com: Soyuz crew safe after anxious wait  • Interactive: Soyuz deorbit and landing   • The Ultimate Space Place  • Federation of American Scientists: Russian Aviation and Space Agency  • NASA  • The Russian Space Agency  • Holt Researcher

A Russian military helicopter transported the three-man crew to Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan. They were then transferred to Moscow aboard a Russian military plane. Though two of the space travelers were able to board the plane by themselves, the third crewmember asked for help in climbing up the stairs to the aircraft.

The astronauts and cosmonaut will spend about two weeks at a cosmonaut training facility in Star City, which lies outside of the Russian capital. They will receive medical evaluations during that time. After they are debriefed, the two American astronauts will travel back to the U.S.

The Soyuz capsule is currently the only operating mode of transportation to the ISS. Two astronauts who are currently aboard the ISS will also come back to Earth aboard a Soyuz.