US space tourist, station crew heading home

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida - A Russian-US two-man crew who spent the last six months aboard the International Space Station and the world's third space tourist headed back to Earth in a Russian Soyuz capsule today.

Russian cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev and US astronaut John Phillips, the only station crew to host space shuttle astronauts since the 2003 Columbia shuttle accident, and space tourist Gregory Olsen undocked from the space station for a return flight.

Touchdown was set for 2.50pm (NZ time) in Kazakhstan.

"Thank you very much to those who worked with us," said Krikalev, who turned over command of the station to his replacement, Nasa astronaut William McArthur.

"We're done with our tasks on the expedition," Krikalev said, as he, Phillips and Olsen settled into the Soyuz capsule that carried them back to Earth.

McArthur and cosmonaut Valery Tokarev arrived at the outpost 10 days ago, along with Olsen, a New Jersey entrepreneur who spent $20 million on his space vacation.

"I just love it up here," Olsen told a group of high school students during an in-flight interview. "It's fulfilling everything I expected."

Krikalev -- who during his sixth spaceflight set a cumulative record of 803 days for the most time spent off the planet by any astronaut or cosmonaut -- and Phillips have been aboard the outpost since April.

"We worked six months trying to get the space station in better shape," Krikalev told the new crew during a change-of-command ceremony over the weekend. "We had a very interesting mission and I hope your mission is interesting as well."

McArthur took over command not knowing when his replacement will arrive. Nasa had hoped to be flying its space shuttle fleet to the station for servicing and crew transport, but new problems surfaced during the shuttle's sole flight since the 2003 Columbia disaster.

The accident, which claimed the lives of seven astronauts, was triggered by damage from a piece of foam insulation that fell off the ship's fuel tank during launch. The same problem occurred during Discovery's launch on July 26, although the debris did not hit the shuttle.

Nasa hopes to resume shuttle flights in May.

US businessman Dennis Tito became the world's first space tourist in 2001, followed by South African Mark Shuttleworth in 2002. Each trip reportedly came with a US$20 million price tag.

- REUTERS