Three astronauts have safely returned to Earth after spending more than 200 days aboard the International Space Station.

The Soyuz MS-11 capsule with astronauts from Canada, Russia and the United States parachuted into the steppes of Kazakhstan at 8.47am local time (1.47am BST) on Tuesday, less than a minute ahead of the scheduled time, after a three-and-a-half-hour flight from the orbiting lab.

Two of the astronauts had completed their maiden flights, Anne McClain of the U.S. and David Saint-Jacques of Canada, and expedition commander Oleg Kononenko of Russia ended his fourth space mission.

'It takes about 3.5 hours between undocking from the space station to landing in Kazakhstan. It's been described as a roller coaster or a washing machine - dynamic, but also a precise and highly choreographed process,' McClain wrote on Twitter.

The Soyuz MS-11 was lowered by parachute and used braking thrusters to land safely as the crew were met by Russian forces, as well as medical teams from NASA and the Canadian Space Agency.

Americans Nick Hague and Christina Koch and Russia's Alexey Ovchinin remain aboard the space station, while another three-man crew awaits departure.

Space veteran Kononenko, who was the first one to be extracted from the capsule, looked visibly tired and pale.

McClain and Saint-Jacques were more energetic and gave a thumbs-up to the recovery team who greeted the three with applause.

The astronauts were put on camping chairs in the sun just by the capsule for some respite and initial medical checks as they adjusted to gravity.

When asked by a reporter on site if he liked the weather, Kononenko said he was 'happy to see any kind of weather' after spending 204 days in space.

The crew will be flown by helicopter to the Kazakh town of Karaganda for a welcoming ceremony before the Russian cosmonaut flies back to Star City near Moscow and McClain and Saint-Jacques fly back to Houston.

The astronauts had taken part in experiments and space walks while aboard the ISS, Collect Space reported.

Kononenko has now stayed for 737 days in space, making him the sixth in the world for most time spent away from the Earth. </s> The hatch of the capsule carrying NASA astronaut Anne McClain, David Saint-Jacques of the Canadian Space Agency and Oleg Kononenko of Russian space agency Roscosmos was opened while the station was flying over the southern coast of Yemen.

The three were greeted upon arrival Monday by the station's current crew members, who had waited outside the hatch after the astronauts' capsule docked and underwent safety checks.

Their Soyuz MS-11 spacecraft launched from the Russian-leased Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Monday at 5:31 p.m. (1131 GMT; 6:31 a.m. EST) then entered a designated orbit just under nine minutes later. The spacecraft made four orbits over six hours as it chased down the space station for the docking.

The astronauts were the first sent to be sent to the space station since a crewed Soyuz launch was aborted in October after a booster rocket failed to separate properly, crippling the rocket. The families of the crew, other astronauts and space officials from several nations breathed a sigh of relief after observing the flawless launch.

NASA and Roscosmos said all onboard systems operated normally and the astronauts felt fine during the six-hour trip the space station. After two hours waiting in their capsule to confirm their ship was firmly docked to the station, they exited the capsule to join three astronauts already aboard the orbiting outpost at 1:37 a.m. (1940 GMT; 2:40 p.m. EST.)

The station's current crew of NASA's Serena Aunon-Chancellor, Russian Sergei Prokopyev and German Alexander Gerst were waiting to greet the newcomers. They are scheduled to return to Earth on Dec. 20.

McClain, Saint-Jacques and Kononenko will spend more than six months at the space station doing research and experiments in biology, Earth science, physical sciences and technology.

A Soyuz-FG rocket carrying NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos' Alexei Ovchinin failed two minutes into its flight on Oct. 11, activating an automatic rescue system that sent their capsule into a steep ride back to Earth. They managed to emerge safely despite the harrowing ordeal.

A Russian investigation attributed the failure to a sensor that was damaged during the rocket's final assembly.

NASA announced Monday that Hague and Ovchinin will now launch to the space station on Feb. 28, along with NASA astronaut Christina Hammock Koch.

The Soyuz accident in October was the first aborted crew launch for the Russian space program since 1983, when two Soviet cosmonauts safely jettisoned after a launch pad explosion.

Russian space officials took measures to prevent the repeat of such a rocket failure. Since the October mishap, four successful unmanned Soyuz satellite launches have been conducted to clear the path for the crew's launch on Monday.

After Monday's successful launch, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine tweeted his thanks to his Russian counterpart Dmitry Rogozin and to NASA and Roscosmos space teams "for their dedication to making this launch a success."

The Soyuz spacecraft is currently the only vehicle that can ferry crews to the space station, but Russia stands to lose that monopoly in the coming years with the arrival of SpaceX's Dragon and Boeing's Starliner crew capsules.

The Soyuz-FG rocket booster with Soyuz MS-11 space ship carrying a new crew to the International Space Station, ISS, blasts off at the Russian leased Baikonur cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, Monday, Dec. 3, 2018. The Russian rocket carries U.S. astronaut Anne McClain, Russian cosmonaut Оleg Kononenko‎ and CSA astronaut David Saint Jacques. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky) The Soyuz-FG rocket booster with Soyuz MS-11 space ship carrying a new crew to the International Space Station, ISS, blasts off at the Russian leased Baikonur cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, Monday, Dec. 3, 2018. The Russian rocket carries U.S. astronaut Anne McClain, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko‎ and CSA astronaut David Saint Jacques. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky) The Soyuz-FG rocket booster with Soyuz MS-11 space ship carrying a new crew to the International Space Station, ISS, blasts off at the Russian leased Baikonur cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, Monday, Dec. 3, 2018. The Russian rocket carries U.S. astronaut Anne McClain, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko‎ and CSA astronaut David Saint Jacques. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky) U.S. astronaut Anne McClain, left, Russian cosmonaut Оleg Kononenko‎, centre, and CSA astronaut David Saint Jacques, members of the main crew of the expedition to the International Space Station (ISS), report to members of the State Committee prior to the launch of Soyuz MS-11 space ship at the Russian leased Baikonur cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, Monday, Dec. 3, 2018. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky, Pool) U.S. astronaut Anne McClain, member of the main crew of the expedition to the International Space Station (ISS), speaks with her relatives through a safety glass prior to the launch of Soyuz MS-11 space ship at the Russian leased Baikonur cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, Monday, Dec. 3, 2018. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky, Pool) Russian Space Agency experts help CSA astronaut David Saint Jacques, member of the main crew of the expedition to the International Space Station (ISS), during the inspection of his space suit prior the launch of Soyuz MS-11 space ship at the Russian leased Baikonur cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, Monday, Dec. 3, 2018. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky) CSA astronaut David Saint Jacques, member of the main crew to the International Space Station (ISS), interacts with his children from a bus prior to the launch of Soyuz-FG rocket at the Russian leased Baikonur cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, Monday, Dec. 3, 2018. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky, Pool) U.S. astronaut Anne McClain, member of the main crew of the expedition to the International Space Station (ISS), gestures prior to the launch of Soyuz MS-11 space ship at the Russian leased Baikonur cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, Monday, Dec. 3, 2018. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky) CSA astronaut David Saint Jacques, member of the main crew of the expedition to the International Space Station (ISS), during an inspection of his space suit prior to the launch of Soyuz MS-11 space ship at the Russian leased Baikonur cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, Monday, Dec. 3, 2018. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky) CSA astronaut David Saint Jacques, member of the main crew to the International Space Station (ISS), interacts with his children from a bus prior to the launch of Soyuz-FG rocket at the Russian leased Baikonur cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, Monday, Dec. 3, 2018. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky, Pool) CSA astronaut David Saint Jacques, member of the main crew of the expedition to the International Space Station (ISS), speaks with his relatives through a safety glass prior to the launch of Soyuz MS-11 space ship at the Russian leased Baikonur cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, Monday, Dec. 3, 2018. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky, Pool) U.S. astronaut Anne McClain, crew member of the mission to the International Space Station, ISS, waves as she boards to the rocket prior to the launch of Soyuz-FG rocket at the Russian leased Baikonur cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, Monday, Dec. 3, 2018. (AP Photo/Shamil Zhumatov, Pool) U.S. astronaut Anne McClain, member of the main crew to the International Space Station (ISS), interacts with her family from a bus prior to the launch of Soyuz-FG rocket at the Russian leased Baikonur cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, Monday, Dec. 3, 2018. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky, Pool) U.S. astronaut Anne McClain, crew member of the mission to the International Space Station, ISS, waves as she boards to the rocket prior to the launch of Soyuz-FG rocket at the Russian leased Baikonur cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, Monday, Dec. 3, 2018. (AP Photo/Shamil Zhumatov, Pool) U.S. astronaut Anne McClain, left, Russian cosmonaut Оleg Kononenko‎, centre, and CSA astronaut David Saint Jacques, members of the main crew of the expedition to the International Space Station (ISS), report to head or Russian space agency Dmitry Rogozin prior to the launch of Soyuz MS-11 space ship at the Russian leased Baikonur cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, Monday, Dec. 3, 2018. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky, Pool) CSA astronaut David Saint Jacques, crew members of the mission to the International Space Station, ISS, walks to the rocket prior to the launch of Soyuz-FG rocket at the Russian leased Baikonur cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, Monday, Dec. 3, 2018. (AP Photo/Shamil Zhumatov, Pool) The Soyuz-FG rocket booster with Soyuz MS-11 space ship carrying a new crew to the International Space Station, ISS, flies in the sky at the Russian leased Baikonur cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, Monday, Dec. 3, 2018. The Russian rocket carries U.S. astronaut Anne McClain, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko, and CSA astronaut David Saint Jacques. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky) In this photo provided by NASA the Soyuz-FG rocket booster with Soyuz MS-11 space ship carrying a new crew to the International Space Station, ISS, launches from at the Russian leased Baikonur cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, Monday, Dec. 3, 2018. The Russian rocket carries U.S. astronaut Anne McClain, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko, and CSA astronaut David Saint Jacques. (Aubrey Gemignani/NASA via AP) A police APC drives prior to the launch of Soyuz MS-11 space ship with U.S. astronaut Anne McClain, Russian cosmonaut Оleg Kononenko‎ and CSA astronaut David Saint Jacques, members of the mission to the International Space Station at the Russian leased Baikonur cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, Monday, Dec. 3, 2018. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky) The Soyuz-FG rocket booster with Soyuz MS-11 space ship carrying a new crew to the International Space Station, ISS, blasts off at the Russian leased Baikonur cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, Monday, Dec. 3, 2018. The Russian rocket carries U.S. astronaut Anne McClain, Russian cosmonaut Оleg Kononenko‎ and CSA astronaut David Saint Jacques. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky) The Soyuz-FG rocket booster with Soyuz MS-11 space ship carrying a new crew to the International Space Station, ISS, blasts off at the Russian leased Baikonur cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, Monday, Dec. 3, 2018. The Russian rocket carries U.S. astronaut Anne McClain, Russian cosmonaut Оleg Kononenko‎ and CSA astronaut David Saint Jacques. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky) The Soyuz-FG rocket booster with Soyuz MS-11 space ship carrying a new crew to the International Space Station, ISS, blasts off at the Russian leased Baikonur cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, Monday, Dec. 3, 2018. The Russian rocket carries U.S. astronaut Anne McClain, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko‎ and CSA astronaut David Saint Jacques. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky) Expedition 58 Flight Engineer David Saint-Jacques of the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), top, Flight Engineer Anne McClain of NASA, center, and Soyuz Commander Oleg Kononenko of Roscosmos, bottom, wave farewell prior to boarding the Soyuz MS-11 spacecraft for launch, Monday, Dec. 3, 2018 in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Kononenko. McClain, and Saint-Jacques will spend the next six and a half months onboard the International Space Station. (Aubrey Gemignani/NASA via AP)

Explore further: Three astronauts blast off to International Space Station </s> Canadian astronaut David Saint-Jacques and two international colleagues joined the crew at the International Space Station on Monday following a successful launch aboard a Soyuz rocket earlier in the day.

Saint-Jacques, 48, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko and American astronaut Anne McClain are on a mission that is scheduled to last 6½​ months.

Chris Hadfield explains what happens when fellow Canadian astronaut David Saint-Jacques and Russian astronaut Oleg Kononenko and American astronaut Anne McClain are launched into space aboard a Soyuz rocket, en route to the International Space Station. 12:10

The trio entered the International Space Station after spending nearly eight hours in their tiny capsule.

They were greeted upon arrival Monday by the station's current crew members, NASA's Serena Aunon-Chancellor, Russian Sergei Prokopyev and German Alexander Gerst, who were waiting outside the capsule's hatch when it opened at 1:37 a.m. (2:40 p.m. ET) while the station was flying over the southern coast of Yemen. Aunon-Chancellor, Prokopyev and Gerst are scheduled to return to Earth on Dec. 20.

During a brief conversation with family members on the ground at the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch site in Kazakhstan, Saint-Jacques said he was completely astounded by everything he had seen.

Speaking in French, he described his first sunrise seen from space as "breathtaking" and said it's just the beginning of the discoveries ahead of him.

Canadian astronaut David Saint-Jacques lifts off with two other crew members bound for the International Space Station on Monday. 0:54

Saint-Jacques, Kononenko and McClain launched into space from the Russian-leased Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Monday at 5:31 p.m. (6:31 a.m. ET). They docked with the station at 11:33 p.m. (12:33 p.m. ET). The families of the crew, other astronauts and space officials from several nations breathed a sigh of relief after observing the flawless launch, with October's Soyuz rocket failure still on the minds of many.

It was the first manned Russian rocket launch since a dramatic aborted Soyuz failure in October, when the two astronauts aboard were forced to make an emergency landing.

Russia suspended all manned space launches pending an investigation before giving the green light to resume them on Nov. 1.

It's the first time a Canadian has been in space since 2013, when Chris Hadfield gained immense popularity around the world by providing glimpses — and the occasional musical performance — into daily life on board the orbiting laboratory.

The Soyuz MS-11 spacecraft carrying the crew formed of David Saint-Jacques of Canada, Oleg Kononenko of Russia and Anne McClain of the U.S. blasts off to the International Space Station (ISS) from the launchpad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, on Monday. (Shamil Zhumatov/Reuters)

Saint-Jacques — a doctor who also holds degrees in engineering and astrophysics as well as a commercial pilot's licence — was initially scheduled to head to the ISS later this month, on Dec. 20. However, his launch was moved up after the Soyuz malfunction in October.

He'll spend his time at the ISS conducting experiments, operating Canadarm2 (the Canadian-built robotic arm aboard the ISS) and testing new technologies, the Canadian Space Agency says. Some of the experiments will focus on the physical effects of the weak gravity astronauts experience in orbit, as well as how to provide remote medical care.

The crowd on hand to watch the launch included members of Saint-Jacques' family as well as Governor General Julie Payette, herself a former astronaut.

This could be the last time a Canadian launches on board a Soyuz: NASA is preparing to return human launches to U.S. soil beginning in 2019, with two new crew capsules provided by SpaceX and Boeing. </s> Russian space agency rescue team help Russian cosmonaut Оleg Kononenko, center, to get from the capsule shortly after the landing of the Russian Soyuz MS-11 space capsule about 150 km (80 miles) south east of the Kazakh town of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, Tuesday, June 25, 2019. Three astronauts safely returned to Earth on Tuesday after spending more than six months aboard the International Space Station. (Alexander Nemenov/Pool Photo via AP)

MOSCOW (AP) — Three astronauts safely returned to Earth on Tuesday after spending more than six months aboard the International Space Station.

The Soyuz capsule with astronauts from Canada, Russia and the United States landed in the steppes of Kazakhstan at 8:47 a.m. (0247GMT), less than a minute ahead of the scheduled time, on Tuesday after a 3 ½ hour flight from the orbiting lab.

Two of the astronauts had completed their maiden flights: Anne McClain of the United States and David Saint-Jacques of Canada. The expedition commander Oleg Kononenko of Russia has ended his fourth space mission. All three spent 204 days in space.

Americans Nick Hague and Christina Koch and Russia’s Alexey Ovchinin remain aboard the space station.

The space veteran Kononenko who was the first one to have been extracted from the capsule looked visibly tired and pale. McClain and Saint-Jacques were more energetic and gave a thumbs-up to the recovery team who greeted the three with applause.

The astronauts were put on camping chairs in the sun just by the capsule for a respite and initial medical checks.

When asked by a reporter on site if he liked the weather Kononenko said he was “happy to see any kind of weather” after spending over 200 days in space.

The crew is expected to be taken to a local airport and fly to their home bases. </s> David Saint-Jacques returned to Earth on Monday after more than six months aboard the International Space Station. The native of Saint-Lambert, Que., has set a record for the longest single spaceflight by a Canadian at 204 days.

He was among three astronauts that safely returned to Earth after spending more than six months aboard the International Space Station.

The Soyuz capsule with the astronauts from Canada, Russia and the United States landed in the steppes of Kazakhstan at 8:47 a.m. (02:47 GMT), less than a minute ahead of the scheduled time, after a 3 1/2 hour flight from the orbiting lab.

Two of the astronauts had completed their maiden flights: Anne McClain of the United States and Saint-Jacques.

The expedition commander Oleg Kononenko of Russia has ended his fourth space mission.

All three spent 204 days in space.

Americans Nick Hague and Christina Koch and Russia’s Alexey Ovchinin remain aboard the space station. </s> Canadian David Saint-Jacques, Russian Oleg Kononenko and American Anne McClain have landed in Kazakhstan in a Soyuz capsule after the 6½-hour return trip to Earth from the International Space Station.

The spacecraft undocked from the space station without incident from the orbiting laboratory at 7:25 p.m. ET Monday before landing in the steppes of Kazakhstan at 10:47 p.m.

The crew were in good health, NASA TV reported.

CBC's Chris Brown, reporting just metres from the landing site, said about 200 people were around the capsule, including health officials. The landing appeared to go off perfectly, with the capsule and its parachute appearing in the sky over central Kazakhstan exactly on time. The sound of the parachute deploying was heard a couple of seconds later.

A team works to move the Soyuz MS-11 capsule from the remote landing site, near Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan. The capsule carried Anne McClain, David Saint-Jacques and Oleg Kononenko back to Earth from the International Space Station. (Corinne Seminoff/CBC)

Saint-Jacques appeared nauseous

The capsule landed upright, though it looked like it had been blowtorched from the heat generated by re-entry, Brown said.



The three crew members were pulled out of the capsule one by one before being offered fruit and fluids, as well as access to a satellite phone.

Touchdown! <a href="https://twitter.com/AstroAnnimal?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AstroAnnimal</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/Astro_DavidS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Astro_DavidS</a> and Oleg Kononenko of <a href="https://twitter.com/roscosmos?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Roscosmos</a> have completed a 204-day space station mission right on time with a landing at 10:47pm ET. <a href="https://t.co/mZzxaYxR0F">https://t.co/mZzxaYxR0F</a> <a href="https://t.co/lKHcUbcgbL">pic.twitter.com/lKHcUbcgbL</a> —@Space_Station

Of the three crew members, Saint-Jacques appeared to be faring the worst. "David smiled but it was a forced one, because he was extremely nauseous," Brown said, adding that he seemed otherwise healthy. That was in contrast to McClain, who appeared exuberant and said she was ready to do it all again.

The astronauts were put on camping chairs in the sun just by the capsule for a respite and initial medical checks.

'Gravity is not my friend'

Just before his helicopter took off on its way to a local airport, Saint-Jacques told CBC News: "Gravity is not my friend," and "I need to learn to walk again." He said the first thing that struck him after more than 200 days in space was the smell of the grass.

Saint-Jacques spoke to CBC News after landing on Earth:

Canadian astronaut David Saint-Jacques and two of his crewmates landed in Kazakhstan after a 6½-hour return trip to Earth from the International Space Station. 0:21

The married father of three young children said he was looking forward to seeing his family again. Véronique Morin, Saint-Jacques's wife, told CBC News she "felt like his anchor on Earth" while he was aboard the ISS.

"It's a technical challenge to go to space, but it's also a challenge for families coping with the absence and the demands of the mission. But it's been a success, and on our side we can say mission accomplished."

Morin discusses the upcoming family reunion with Saint-Jacques:

Véronique Morin discusses the return of her husband David Saint-Jacques from the ISS and how she and their children fared while he was in space. 5:29

Kononenko, meanwhile, was asked if he was enjoying the weather and replied he was "happy to see any kind of weather."

Saint-Jacques, a native of Saint-Lambert, Que., set a record for the longest single spaceflight by a Canadian at 204 days, and Canadian officials lauded Saint-Jacques's accomplishment shortly after his return.

"Not only did his journey on the International Space Station show our youth the rewards that come with dreaming big and reaching for the stars, but the scientific research David conducted will also push the limits of our understanding of the universe, as well as human health in space and on Earth," Innovation and Science Minister Navdeep Bains said in a statement.

Welcome back to earth David Saint-Jacques. We are so glad that you are safely back. Congratulations on a remarkable job on board he International Space Station (ISS) during six months. 204 days in space. Well done, <a href="https://twitter.com/Astro_DavidS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Astro_DavidS</a>! —@GGJuliePayette

Took part in hours-long spacewalk

Saint-Jacques' mission began ahead of schedule on Dec. 3, when he was part of the first crewed Soyuz mission following a rocket mishap last October that forced a spacecraft carrying two astronauts to abort and make an emergency landing.

The 49-year-old took part in a six-and-a-half hour spacewalk in April and a "cosmic catch" of SpaceX Dragon cargo using Canadarm2 — the first time a Canadian astronaut has operated the robotic arm to perform the feat.

The Soyuz MS-11 capsule carrying the ISS crew heads in for a landing. (Alexander Nemenov/AFP/Getty Images)

The engineer, astrophysicist and family doctor also oversaw science experiments and had discussions with kids across the country during his mission.

In the last news conference Saint-Jacques held before his trip home, he said he was spending his final hours in orbit running through the re-entry procedure and doing last-minute technical checks on equipment. "It's hard to believe. It's been a very full mission," he said Wednesday.

Recovery a priority for CSA

Saint-Jacques told reporters he's aware of the physical challenges that await after six months in zero gravity, including blood circulation problems, muscle pains and an elongated spine that will return to normal. It could mean trouble walking and moving around for awhile.

A search and rescue team works at the landing site Tuesday. (Alexander Nemenov/Reuters)

Saint-Jacques' recovery is first and foremost on the minds of Canadian Space Agency officials.

"A big aspect for us here at the agency is to prepare his return in the next few weeks — rehabilitation, physical reconditioning, adapting back to life at 1G," said Gilles Leclerc, the agency's director of space exploration.

Saint-Jacques is expected to take part in a news conference on Friday from Houston and will return to Canada in mid-July to visit the agency, just south of Montreal.

As for the next mission, Leclerc said negotiations are underway to have another member of the corps serve aboard the International Space Station before 2024. </s> A Soyuz spacecraft carrying a Russian cosmonaut and two astronauts from the United States and Canada has returned back to Earth.

 

 Expedition commander Oleg Kononenko of Roscosmos, NASA astronaut Anne McClain, and Canadian Space Agency’s David Saint-Jacques touched down on the steppes of southeastern Kazakhstan on June 25 after spending 204 days in space.

 

 It was Kononenko’s fourth space mission.

 

 Russia's Aleksei Ovchinin and two U.S. astronaut, Nick Hague and Christina Koch, remain aboard the International Space Station.

 

 The trio is to be joined by Andrew Morgan of NASA, Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency, and Aleksandr Skvortsov of Roscosmos in July.

 

 In October 2018, a Soyuz spacecraft that Hague and Ovchinin were riding in failed two minutes into its flight, activating a rescue system that allowed their capsule to land safely.

 

 That accident was the Russian space program's first aborted crew launch since 1983, when two Soviet cosmonauts safely jettisoned after a launch pad explosion.

Based on reporting by AFP and AP </s> Three astronauts have safely returned to Earth after spending more than six months aboard the International Space Station.

Three astronauts have safely returned to Earth after spending more than six months aboard the International Space Station.

Three astronauts return to Earth after six months aboard International Space Station

The Soyuz capsule with astronauts from Canada, Russia and the United States landed in the steppes of Kazakhstan at 8.47am local time (1.47am Irish time) on Tuesday, less than a minute ahead of the scheduled time, after a three-and-a-half-hour flight from the orbiting lab.

Two of the astronauts had completed their maiden flights - Anne McClain of the United States and David Saint-Jacques of Canada.

The expedition commander Oleg Kononenko of Russia has ended his fourth space mission. All three spent 204 days in space.

Americans Nick Hague and Christina Koch and Russia's Alexey Ovchinin remain aboard the space station.

Space veteran Mr Kononenko, who was the first one to be extracted from the capsule, looked visibly tired and pale.

Ms McClain and Mr Saint-Jacques were more energetic and gave a thumbs-up to the recovery team who greeted the three with applause.

The astronauts were put on camping chairs in the sun just by the capsule for some respite and initial medical checks.

When asked by a reporter on site if he liked the weather, Mr Kononenko said he was "happy to see any kind of weather" after spending over 200 days in space.

The crew is expected to be taken to a local airport before flying to their home bases. </s> The last Canadian astronaut to visit the space station was Chris Hadfield, who was on a five-month mission that ended in May 2013

The Soyuz-FG rocket booster with Soyuz MS-11 space ship carrying a new crew to the International Space Station, ISS, blasts off at the Russian leased Baikonur cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, Monday, Dec. 3, 2018. The Russian rocket carries U.S. astronaut Anne McClain, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko‚Äé and CSA astronaut David Saint Jacques. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky)

Canadian astronaut David Saint-Jacques blasted through the skies over Kazakhstan early Monday in what appeared to be a seamless launch of a Russian Soyuz rocket bound for the International Space Station.

The 48-year-old doctor and astronaut lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome with Anne McClain of NASA and Oleg Kononenko of the Russian space agency, Roscosmos.

The launch of the Soyuz MS-11 spacecraft appeared to go exactly as planned at the precise liftoff time of 6:31 a.m. Eastern.

“We have liftoff,” a commentator said on NASA television as the rocket roared into the sky under 930 pounds of thrust and a speed of 1,770 kilometres per hour. “Everything looking good, vehicle is stable — good first stage performance.”

The crew reported that all went well in those critical initial minutes after liftoff and were safely in orbit.

Back on Canadian soil, a crowd monitored the launch from the Canadian Space Agency in Longueuil, Que., as the rocket began its roughly six-hour transit to the space station.

RELATED: US, Russian astronauts safe after emergency landing in October

Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains praised the successful takeoff and said the mission offers an exciting opportunity for scientific research and developments that could have broad applications, in such things as robotics and aging.

“Space represents a lot of opportunities for a lot of Canadians,” he said at the agency office. “It really is inspirational what David represents…today is an incredible day in space.”

Astronaut Jenni Sidey-Gibbons echoed the message, saying Saint-Jacques was a special role model for her and other young people who may be considering a future in space.

“That was particularly important for me when I was growing up and I certainly wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for Canada’s early space program and, kind of, the heroes that pushed that forward,” she said. “It’s incredible.”

It was the first manned Russian rocket launch since a dramatic aborted Soyuz failure in October.

RELATED: Canadian astronaut who flew to space but faced biggest challenges on solid ground

On Oct. 11, a rocket failure forced a Soyuz capsule carrying two astronauts to abort and make an emergency landing.

Russia suspended all manned space launches pending an investigation before giving the green light Nov. 1.

Saint-Jacques has spent years training for the six-month mission, which was originally scheduled for Dec. 20 but was moved up after the aborted Soyuz launch.

Aboard the station, he will conduct a number of science experiments, with some focusing on the physical effects of the weak gravity astronauts experience in orbit as well as how to provide remote medical care.

Former astronaut Robert Thirsk said the schedule will be especially busy for the trio.

“Every five-minute increment of our life is scheduled, and that will be the same for David also,” he said at the space agency office. “The challenge for him will be to pace himself to accomplish the work that’s expected of him.”

It was expected the crowd on the ground watching the liftoff in Kazakhstan would include members of Saint-Jacques’ family as well as Gov. Gen. Julie Payette, herself a former astronaut.

Payette, who completed missions to the space station in 1999 and 2009, had said the most dangerous moments come immediately following the launch as the rocket passes through several “critical zones” on its way into space.

The last Canadian astronaut to visit the space station was Chris Hadfield, who was on a five-month mission that ended in May 2013.

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Soyuz MS-11 returned to Earth, landing in Kazakhstan, from the International Space Station carrying Canadian David Saint-Jacques, American Anne McClain and Russian Oleg Kononenko. The astronauts and cosmonaut spent 204 days aboard the ISS, a record for Canada.