SPACE TRIO RETURNS : RUSSIA

MOSCOW : Space trio return to Earth after six months : A trio of space travelers returned to Earth after a six-month mission on the International Space Station.

The Soyuz MS-16, capsule carrying US astronauts Chris Cassidy, as well as Russians Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner, landed on the steppes of Kazakhstan southeast of the town of Dzhezkazgan.

After a brief medical checkup, the three taken by helicopters to Dhezkazgan.

Cassidy willboard a NASA plane back to Houston, while Vagner and Ivanishin will fly home to Star City, Russia.

The crew smiled as they talked to masked members of the recovery team, and NASA reported that they were in good condition.

As part of the additional precaution due to the coronavirus, the rescue team members meeting the crew were tested for the virus and the number of people involved in the recovery effort was limited.

Cassidy, Ivnanishin and Vagner spent 196 days in orbit, having arrived at the station on April 9.

They left behind Nasa's Kate Rubins and Roscomos Sergey Ryzhikov and Sergey Kud Sverchkov, who arrived at the orbiting outpost a week ago for six months stay. [AP]