Soyuz capsule carrying the Sochi 2014 Olympic torch has returned to Earth after it was taken on its first spacewalk as part of the Russian lead-up to the Winter Games.
The Olympic torch landed in central Kazakhstan after leaving the International Space Station (ISS).
Three astronauts delivered it back after a three-and-a-half hour descent.
The torch was taken up to the ISS on Thursday and then waved outside the space station.
Russian cosmonauts Oleg Kotov and Sergei Ryazansky posed for photographs as they held the torch 260 miles above Earth.
The Olympic torch has been carried into space twice before – in 1996 and 2000 – but it had never previously left a spaceship.
The torch was unlit inside the ISS because of safety concerns and outside due to the lack of oxygen.
A different crew – Russia’s Fyodor Yurchikhin, NASA US astronaut Karen Nyberg and Italian Luca Parmitano – bought it back to Earth, landing on the Kazakh steppes shortly before 08:50 on Monday.
Soyuz capsule carrying the Sochi 2014 Olympic torch has returned to Earth after it was taken on its first spacewalk
The capsule descended to the ground under a parachute.
Fyodor Yurchikhin, the mission commander, was carried from the capsule to a reclining chair and covered with blanket against the cold.
The torch was removed from a protective bag and given to Fyodor Yurchikhin, who waved it and smiled for the cameras.
The capsule completed a perfect descent and touched down exactly on time, according to a NASA TV commentator.
It will to be used to light the Olympic cauldron at the winter games in February next year.
The trip to the space station is all part of elaborate preparations for Russia’s first Olympics since the Soviet era.
It was seen as part of a rebranding exercise by Russia designed to portray it as a strong, modern country.
Sochi Winter Games are the most expensive Olympics so far, costing around $50 billion (1,620 billion roubles).
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Russian cosmonauts Oleg Kotov and Sergei Ryazansky are taking the torch for the Sochi Winter Olympics on its first historic spacewalk, ahead of next year’s games.
Oleg Kotov and Sergei Ryazansky took the unlit version of the torch through the hatch of the International Space Station (ISS) at 14:34 GMT.
Live footage showed Oleg Kotov waving the torch 261 miles above Earth.
A three-man crew took the torch up to the space station on a Russian Soyuz rocket on Thursday.
The rocket blasted off from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan crewed by three cosmonauts – Russia’s Mikhail Tyurin, American Rick Mastracchio and Koichi Wakata from Japan.
The crew handed the Olympic symbol to Oleg Kotov and Sergei Ryazansky, who were already on the orbiting station ahead of Saturday’s spacewalk.
Cosmonauts Oleg Kotov and Sergei Ryazansky are taking the torch for the Sochi Winter Olympics on its first historic spacewalk
The two cosmonauts took pictures and videos of each other holding the torch using helmet cameras.
The torch, which was tethered to their bulky spacesuits, was to spend up to six hours in open space.
In addition to the photo opportunity, Oleg Kotov and Sergei Ryazansky were carrying out some maintenance on the orbiting station.
The event is seen as part of a rebranding exercise by Russia designed to portray it as a strong, modern country.
“Our goal here is to make it look spectacular,” Oleg Kotov said earlier this week.
“We’d like to showcase our Olympic torch in space. We will try to do it in a beautiful manner. Millions of people will see it live on TV and they will see the station and see how we work.”
The Olympic torch has been carried into space twice before – in 1996 and 2000 – but it has never left a spaceship. It is not being lit aboard the space station as this would consume oxygen and pose a risk to the crew.
The Sochi torch will then be returned to Earth and used to light the Olympic cauldron in February next year.
The trip to the space station is all part of elaborate preparations for Russia’s first Olympics since the Soviet era. The games are the most expensive Olympics so far, costing around $50 billion (1,620 billion roubles).
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Russia has sent the Olympic torch into space ahead of the Sochi Winter Games.
A Soyuz rocket is delivering the torch to the International Space Station- as part of efforts to showcase next year’s games in Russia.
On Saturday, two Russian cosmonauts will take it on a historic first spacewalk. The torch will not be lit.
The Soyuz rocket blasted off at 04:14:25 GMT from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
Three cosmonauts – Russia’s Mikhail Tyurin, American Rick Mastracchio and Koici Wakata from Japan – are taking the torch to the ISS, which it is due to reach in six hours.
A Soyuz rocket is delivering the Olympic torch to the International Space Station
The Olympic torch will be handed over to fellow cosmonauts Oleg Kotov and Sergei Ryazansky, who are already on the orbiting station, when they go on the spacewalk on Saturday.
“Our goal here is to make it look spectacular,” Oleg Kotov said earlier.
“We’d like to showcase our Olympic torch in space. We will try to do it in a beautiful manner. Millions of people will see it live on TV and they will see the station and see how we work.”
The Olympic torch has been carried into space twice before – in 1996 and 2000 – but it has never left a spaceship.
The Sochi torch will then be returned to earth and used to light the Olympic cauldron in February 2014.
It is all part of the elaborate preparations for Russia’s first Olympics since the Soviet era. It is also the most expensive one so far, costing around $50 billion (1,620 billion roubles).
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