Record-holding US astronaut and two Russians return to EarthAn American astronaut who set the US record for cumulative time in orbit safely returned to Earth early Wednesday along with two Russian cosmonauts after a six-month mission aboard the International Space Station. Welcome home @Astro_Jeff, officially back on Earth after 172-day mission & total 534 days on 4 missions,” NASA tweeted. The retired Army colonel beat the previous US record set by astronaut Scott Kelly during his year in orbit. Williams, a grandfather, is also the oldest American to spend live on the space station. He returned to the International Space Station in 2006 when the space station was far smaller — with just two modules and three crew members — and again in 2009.

Source: Manila Bulletin September 07, 2016 03:56 UTC