Launch News Soyuz TMA-04M, Soyuz-FG, May 15, 2012 (launch, docking and landing updates)

[Cosmic Penguin]

NASASpaceflight: Soyuz TMA-04M set to return to Earth following four-month mission to ISS, by Orbinaut Pete

SPACE.com: 3 Space Station Astronauts to Return to Earth Tonight

And it undocked right on time (actually a few minutes ahead of schedule). Landing is less than two hours from now (02:53 UTC).

 

[SiberianTiger]

Reentry of Soyuz TMA-04M backdropping the 1 m Zeiss-1000 telescope tower at Special Astrophysical Observatory of the Russian Academy of Science at Nizhny Arkhyz (Northern Caucasus region).

:thumbup:

 

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Undocking and landing

Undocking and landing video from NASAtelevision:

Click on image to enlarge​

The Soyuz TMA-04M spacecraft is seen as it lands with Expedition 32 Commander Gennady Padalka of Russia, NASA Flight Engineer Joe Acaba and Russian Flight Engineer Sergie Revin in a remote area near the town of Arkalyk, Kazakhstan, on Monday, September 17, 2012. Padalka, Acaba and Revin returned from five months onboard the International Space Station where they served as members of the Expedition 31 and 32 crews.

Photo Credit: (NASA/Carla Cioffi)​

Source​

NASA: RELEASE : 12-325 - International Space Station Astronauts Land Safely in Kazakhstan

CBS News Space: Soyuz TMA-04M lands in Kazakhstan

RIA Novosti: Space Station Crew Lands Safely in Kazakhstan

Florida Today: ISS crew returns to Earth

Aviation Week: U.S., Russian ISS Crew Descends Safely to Earth

SpaceRef: Astronauts Land Safely in Kazakhstan

SPACE.com:

• Touchdown! Soyuz Spacecraft Lands Safely with Russian-US Crew
  
  
• Photos: Space Station's Expedition 32 Crew Lands on Earth

 

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Some more landing photos from NASA HQ photo's photostream:

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Click on images to enlarge​

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Photo Credit: NASA/Carla Cioffi​

 

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[SiberianTiger]

This photo pictures Padalka writing his signature and an inscription with a chalk on the side of the capsule:

The text reads: "For the Memorial House of Konstantin Tsiolkovsky. Gennady Padalka", which is related to future presenting of this capsule to Tsiolkovsky museum in Kaluga.

Yesterday was 155th anniversary of Tsiolkovsky.

 

[Codz]

Padalka? You mean Acaba?

 

[N_Molson]

It's the first time I see such good pics of a Soyuz landing ! Excellent ! :thumbup:

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

Padalka? You mean Acaba?

Actually Padalka had already signed the capsule by then, and Acaba was signing it.

 

[SiberianTiger]

Padalka? You mean Acaba?

I could see the name Padalka written and didn't notice there was Acaba with the chalk.

As the saying goes,
If you see a sign "Buffalo" on a Lion's cage, don't trust your eyes! :rofl: