Soyuz lands safely after technical glitch

The landing capsule carrying Russians Fyodor Yurchikhin and Oleg Kotov, and Malaysian Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, landed short of the designated landing site at 1606 IST, Russia8217;s Mission Control spokesman Valery Lyndin said. The crew was unharmed, he said. The spacecraft deviated from the intended path because of a computer glitch that sent the spacecraft on a steeper-than-usual descent trajectory, the so-called ballistic descent, Lyndin said.

8220;That meant that the crew were subjected to higher than normal gravity load on their descent,8221; Lyndin told The Associated Press.

Russian search and rescue teams quickly located the craft, which landed just under 340 kilometres west of the designated landing site near Arkalyk in north-central Kazakhstan, NASA reported on its Web site. It said all three crew members were feeling fine.

Russian Space Agency chief Anatoly Perminov said 8220;space officials and experts experienced a few tense moments,8221; but added that the crew was in good condition.

8220;All crew members have been recovered and they are feeling quite well,8221; Perminov said at a news conference at Mission Control.