NASA's record-setting Koch, crew return from space

NASA astronaut Christina Koch, who has spent nearly 11 months in orbit on longest flight by a woman, landed safely in Kazakhstan on Thursday along with two of her International Station crewmates. Soyuz capsule carrying Koch, along with station Commander Luca Parmita of European ncy and Russian ncy Roscosmos' Alexander Skvortsov, touched down souast of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, at 3:12 p.m. (0912 GMT).

Koch wrapped up a 328-day mission on her first flight into , providing researchers opportunity to observe effects of long-duration flight on a woman.

study is important since NASA plans to return to Moon under Artemis program and prepare for human exploration of Mars.

Koch smiled and gave a thumbs-up as support crew helped her get out of capsule and placed her in a chair for a quick post-flight check-up alongside her crewmates.

Russian officials said y were in good shape.

Koch, who grew up in Jacksonville, rth Carolina, and w lives near Gulf of Mexico in Galveston, Texas, with her husband, Bob, told Associated Press last month that taking part in first all-female walk was highlight of her mission.

Koch said she and fellow NASA astronaut Jessica Meir appreciated that October 18 walk "could serve as an inspiration for future explorers.”

Parmita and Skvortsov spent 201 days in .

After preliminary medical evaluations, crew will be flown by Russian helicopters to city of Karaganda in Kazakhstan.

Koch and Parmita will n board a NASA plane bound for Cologne, Germany, where Parmita will be greeted by European officials before Koch proceeds home to Houston. Skvortsov will be flown to Star City Cosmonaut Training Centre outside Moscow.