The Soyuz-FG rocket booster with Soyuz TMA-06M space ship carrying a new crew to the International Space Station, ISS, blasts off from the Russian-leased Baikonur cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2012. The Russian rocket carries U.S. astronaut Kevin Ford and two Russian cosmonauts Oleg Novitsky and Evgeny Tarelkin. (AP Photo/Mikhail Metzel)
Bad weather postpones return of 3 astronauts
Published: 09:51:07 PM, Thu 14 March 2013 UTC
MOSCOW (AP) — Bad weather is delaying the return of three astronauts from the International Space Station.
The astronauts were scheduled to land in a Soyuz capsule in central Kazakhstan early Friday morning. But fog and freezing rain prevented Russian rescue helicopters from flying to the touchdown site.
NASA's Kevin Ford and Russians Oleg Novitsky and Yevgeny Tarelkin will stay at the space station for at least another day. They've been in space for nearly five months.
The astronauts had already climbed into their capsule and where waiting to close the hatch when Russian officials called off their departure at the last minute. Their return trip is now set for Saturday, when the weather is expected to be better.
Three other astronauts will remain at the space station.
Tags:
nasa, mir, yevgeny tarelkin, kevin ford, science_technology, rain, weather, bad weather, international space station, morning, moscow, hatch, departure, central asia, fog, soyuz, return trip, astronauts, russian officials, russian language, space station, soyuz capsule, russians oleg novitsky, weather postpones return, kazakhstan early friday, russian rescue helicopters, touchdown site
