Post-landing scene of the Soyuz TM-33 spacecraft

An aid and rescue team member stands atop the Soyuz TM-33 spacecraft (partially obscured by rescue equipment and team members in background), while others stand ready with a special device called the crew extraction stand. The team later fit the device, which has both a ladder and a slide, to the Soyuz. The stand makes it possible for the crewmembers to egress the spacecraft without their feet touching the ground. Three chairs await the crewmembers in the foreground. Landing occurred around 7:52 a.m. Moscow time. Having spent 10 days in space, the majority of that time onboard the International Space Station (ISS), and still inside the spacecraft are Yuri Gidzenko, commander; Roberto Vittori, flight engineer; and space flight participant Mark Shuttleworth of South Africa. Gidzenko is with Rosaviakosmos and Vittori represents the European Space Agency (ESA). Photo Credit: NASA/Marty Linde