Cosmonauts arrive safely back to Earth

A Soyuz craft veered off its designated course while heading for its landing in the steppes of Kazakhstan but safely brought two Russian cosmonauts and Malaysia’s first space traveller back to Earth today, officials said.

The landing capsule carrying Russians Fyodor Yurchikhin and Oleg Kotov, and Malaysian Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, deviated from its intended landing site after a problem during the descent.

But it landed safely and the crew was unharmed, said Russia’s Mission Control spokesman Valery Lyndin.

Russian search and rescue teams quickly located the craft.