It's all smiles for Expedition 9 Flight Engineer Mike Fincke after a landing in Kazakhstan on Saturday, Oct. 23. Fincke and Expedition 9 Commander Gennady Padalka returned to Earth after a 6 month stay on the International Space Station, leaving the orbital outpost in the hands of the Expedition 10 crew.
It’s all smiles for Expedition 9 Flight Engineer Mike Fincke after a landing in Kazakhstan on Saturday, Oct. 23. Fincke and Expedition 9 Commander Gennady Padalka returned to Earth after a 6 month stay on the International Space Station, leaving the orbital outpost in the hands of the Expedition 10 crew – NASA astronaut Leroy Chiao and Russian Cosmonaut Salizhan Sharipov. Russian cosmonaut Yuri Shargin, who launched on Oct. 13 with Chiao and Sharipov, also returned with Fincke and Padalka.Photo Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls+ View Photo Gallery