Russian Soyuz capsule has returned to Earth with its three-man crew after they spent 123 days at the International Space Station.

Two Russians, Gennady Padalka and Sergei Revin, and their American colleague Joe Acaba made the safe return in Kazakhstan on Monday morning.

Another crew of three who took off in May remain on the International Space Station.

Russian Soyuz capsule has returned to Earth with its three-man crew after they spent 123 days at the International Space Station

Next month, another three are due to take off from Kazakhstan to join them.

The capsule landed at 08:53 local time and all three crew members “are safe and adjusting to gravity,” according to the Twitter feed of the US space programme NASA.

“I feel great,” Gennady Padalka told attending recovery staff, Reuters news agency reports.

The Soyuz craft is the only means for astronauts to reach the International Space Station since the US shuttle fleet was retired last year.

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