One of three local Kazakh girls who were on hand at the International Airport Astana to welcome the Expedition 6 crew with roses after the crew landed on the Kazakh steppe in their Soyuz capsule, Tuesday, May 4, 2003 in Astana, Kazakhstan. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Astana is the capital and second largest city of Kazakhstan, with a population of about 600,000. It was founded as a fort in 1824 on the Ishim River by Siberian Cossacks, and became a railway junction in the early 20th century. Astana became the capital of the newly-independent Kazakhstan in 1997. These two images were acquired March 20, 2001 and September 5, 2003, cover an area of 22.5 x 24 km, and are located near 51.2 degrees north latitude, 71.4 degrees east longitude. This image is from NASA Terra satellite. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA10612
May 4, 2003, Astana, Kazakhstan. One of three local Kazakh girls who were on hand at the Astana airport to welcome the Expedition Six crew with Roses after the crew landed on the Kazakh Steppe in their Soyuz capsule. Photo Credit: "NASA/Bill Ingalls"
May 4, 2003, Astana, Kazakhstan. One of three local Kazakh girls who were on hand at the Astana airport to welcome the Expedition Six crew with Roses after the crew landed on the Kazakh Steppe in their Soyuz capsule. Photo Credit: "NASA/Bill Ingalls"
Expedition 6 Flight Engineer Nikolai Budarin, left, and Commander Ken Bowersox are greeted by Cosmonaut Talgat Musabayev, right, on Tuesday, May 4, 2003, after their arrival in Astana, Kazakhstan. The Expedition 6 Soyuz capsule landed in Kazakhstan. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
ASTANA, KAZAKHSTAN - One of three local Kazakh girls who were on hand at the Astana airport to welcome the Expedition Six crew with roses after the crew landed on the Kazakh Steppe in their Soyuz capsule. The Expedition Six crew spent 161 days in space, 159 manning the International Space Station. Photo Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls
Expedition 6 Commander Ken Bowersox calls his wife Annie from the airplane prior to departure from Astana, Kazakhstan to Moscow, Tuesday, May 4, 2003. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
May 4, 2003, Kazakhstan. Expedition Six Commander Ken Bowersox calls his wife Annie from the airplane prior to deaprture at Astana, Kazakhstan to Moscow. Photo Credit: "NASA/Bill Ingalls"
May 4, 2003, Astana, Kazakhstan. Expedition Six Commander Ken Bowersox (C), Flight Engineer Nikolai Budarin (L) and NASA ISS Science Officer Don Pettit (not pictured) are welcomed to Kazakhstan by Cosmonaut Talgat Musabayev. The Expedition Six Soyuz capsule landed in Kazakhstan. Photo Credit: "NASA/Bill Ingalls"
May 4, 2003, Astana, Kazakhstan. Expedition Six Commander Ken Bowersox (C), Flight Engineer Nikolai Budarin (L) and NASA ISS Science Officer Don Pettit (not pictured) are welcomed to Kazakhstan by Cosmonaut Talgat Musabayev. The Expedition Six Soyuz capsule landed in Kazakhstan. Photo Credit: "NASA/Bill Ingalls"
KAZAKHSTAN - Expedition Six Commander Ken Bowersox calls his wife Annie from the airplane prior to departure from Astana, Kazakhstan, to Moscow. The Expedition Six crew spent 161 days in space, 159 manning the International Space Station. Photo Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls
Expedition 6 Commander Ken Bowersox, left, talks about his mission with Bob Cabana, Director of Flight Crew Operations while on the airplane flying from Astana, Kazakhstan to Moscow on Tuesday, May 4, 2003. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
ASTANA, KAZAKHSTAN - Expedition Six Commander Ken Bowersox (center), Flight Engineer Nikolai Budarin (left) and NASA ISS Science Officer Don Pettit (not pictured) are welcomed to Kazakhstan by Cosmonaut Talgat Musabayev. The Expedition Six Soyuz capsule landed in Kazakhstan. The Expedition Six crew spent 161 days in space, 159 manning the International Space Station. Photo Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls
Four helicopters, representing Russian search and recovery forces, were advanced to Arkalyk, Kazakhstan a day prior to the Expedition 7 Soyuz landing, Monday, October 27, 2003. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Four helicopters, representing Russian search and recovery forces, were advanced to Arkalyk, Kazakhstan a day prior to the Expedition 7 Soyuz landing, Monday, October 27, 2003. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Dr. Thomas H. Marshburn, NASA Flight Surgeon, center, is helped to a Russian helicopter by interpreter Paul Kharmats, far left, astronaut James H. Newman and NASA International Space Station Program Manager William Gerstenmaier, right. Dr. Marshburn was on one of four helicopters that were advanced to Arkalyk, Kazakhstan a day prior to the Expedition 7 Soyuz landing, Monday, October 27, 2003. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Astronaut Edward T. Lu, Expedition 7 NASA International Space Station Science Officer and Flight Engineer, sleeps onboard a Russian helicopter in Arkalyk, Kazakhstan. The helicopter had to wait out bad weather before moving on to Astana, Kazakhstan. The Soyuz TMA-2 spacecraft carrying Lu; cosmonaut Yuri I. Malenchenko, Expedition 7 Mission Commander; and European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Pedro Duque of Spain landed in Kazakhstan on Monday, October 27, 2003 at 9:41 p.m. (EST). Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)