Soyuz Capsule Returns to Earth Safely
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: As we told you earlier, two astronauts and one cosmonaut have returned to Earth after their extended stay on the International Space Station. For an update we go to CNN's Ralitsa Vassileva, who joins us now from Moscow with more -- Ralitsa.</s>RALITSA VASSILEVA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Anderson, as you mentioned, they landed safely but hundreds of miles away, 275 miles off course where they were intended to land. There were about two and a half very, tense hours in which there was no contact after landing. They didn't know where they had landed. Finally, they reached them. They had gotten out of the capsule. They waved at the plane that found them. They are now currently in Astana, which is the capital of Kazakhstan. That's where they landed. Kazakhstan is a former Soviet republic. That's where the landing took place. After that they'll be ferried off to Moscow where they will spend about two weeks of rehabilitation, medical checkups. The reason for why this used capsule did that and didn't land on target, not yet known, but this remains, because the shuttle is being grounded, this capsule remains the only mode of transportation back and forth from the International Space Station. There are cosmonauts and astronauts aboard the International Space Station that'll be coming back on this capsule in about six months. This was an untested capsule. It was recently refurbished for more safety and accuracy for landing, so it was the first time actually they were using this remodeled used capsule. Not known what went wrong and why it went off course, but the astronauts and the cosmonaut are safely back on Earth. They appear to be in good health, and we will keep bringing you the latest on them.</s>COOPER: Ralitsa, how big a story is this in Russia right now?</s>VASSILEVA: Russians in principle are very proud of their space program. That is something, an achievement, that they really care a lot about, and now they have stepped in to keep this International Space Station running and manned and supplied. However, there's a four-day Mayday holiday that ends today, and most people are at their holiday houses out of -- out of the big towns. They are still celebrating. They're getting, you know, getting back to getting ready for work for tomorrow. So it's not a very big deal. Plus they've kind of gotten used to things going routine and things going well with this Soyuz capsule. It has a very good safety record. The last time anything happened was in 1971. So basically they're kind of used to this being something that'll go OK anyway, so not a very big thing.</s>COOPER: All right. Ralitsa Vassileva, I appreciate you joining us. Thanks very much. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com