▁und ock ed ▁from ▁the ▁International ▁Space ▁Station ▁on ▁September ▁ 1 6 , ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁at ▁ 0 0 : 3 8 ▁UTC . ▁Due ▁to ▁an ▁apparent ▁communic ations ▁mal function , ▁voice ▁communic ations ▁from ▁the ▁crew ▁were ▁lost ▁shortly ▁after ▁the ▁de or bit ▁burn , ▁prompt ing ▁some ▁t ense ▁moments ▁on ▁the ▁ground , ▁but ▁otherwise ▁the ▁re entry ▁and ▁descent ▁went ▁perfectly . ▁There ▁was ▁no ▁immediate ▁explanation ▁for ▁the ▁communic ations ▁drop ▁out . ▁ ▁So y uz ▁Commander ▁Aleks andr ▁Sam ok ut y ay ev ▁and ▁Fl ight ▁Engine ers ▁And rei ▁Bor isen ko ▁and ▁Ron ald ▁Gar an ▁returned ▁to ▁Earth ▁on ▁September ▁ 1 6 , ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁at ▁ 0 3 : 5 9 ▁UTC , ▁landing ▁on ▁target ▁in ▁central ▁Kaz akh stan . ▁Russian ▁search ▁and ▁rescue ▁teams , ▁along ▁with ▁NASA ▁flight ▁sur ge ons ▁and ▁space ▁station ▁program ▁man agers , ▁were ▁standing ▁by ▁to ▁help ▁the ▁So y uz ▁crew . ▁Three ▁Anton ov ▁air plan es , ▁ 1 4 ▁Mil ▁Mi - 8 ▁hel ic op ters , ▁and ▁seven ▁rescue ▁vehicles ▁took ▁part ▁in ▁the ▁search ▁for ▁the ▁caps ule . ▁Sam ok ut y ay ev ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁to ▁be ▁extracted ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁So y uz ▁descent ▁module , ▁followed ▁by ▁Gar an ▁and ▁Bor isen ko . ▁All ▁three ▁appeared ▁relax ed ▁and ▁in ▁good ▁health ▁as ▁they ▁rest ed ▁in