- Astronauts boarded Russian Soyuz capsule at 8.40am
- Soyuz separates from International Space Station at 11.54am
- Capsule touches down in Kazakhstan at 3.17pm
That's a wrap
Thank you for joining us for return journey of the record-breaking astronauts. Live coverage will be closing soon.
There will be more to come from The National over the next few months, as scientists study the effects of the 371-day space mission may have had on the crews' bodies.
Follow The National's space editor Sarwat Nasir on X and bookmark our dedicated UAE in Space page for more coverage.
Crew to fly back to Houston and Moscow
The crew will be taken to medical tents at the landing site.
They will then be flown to an airport in Karaganda, where Nasa astronaut Frank Rubio will board a plane to Houston, Texas.
Russian cosmonauts Dmitry Petelin and Sergey Prokopyev will fly to Moscow.
An extensive recovery programme awaits them, so their bodies can get used to the gravity again.
Crew emerge from Soyuz capsule
The astronauts were carried outside of the Soyuz capsule and placed onto wheelchairs, as their bodies re-adapt to gravity.
"It's good to be home," Nasa astronaut Frank Rubio said to one of his colleagues at the landing site in Kazakhstan
Soyuz capsule lands in the steppe of Kazakhstan
Three astronauts aboard a Soyuz capsule have landed in the steppe of Kazakhstan.
Parachutes deployed after the craft re-entered the Earth's atmosphere, with a touchdown that took place southeast of the town of Dzhezkazgan.
The crew will first get medical checks near the landing site before being escorted to an airport in Karaganda.
Nasa astronaut Frank Rubio will fly to Houston from there and his Russian colleagues will head to Moscow.
Soyuz capsule re-enters Earth's atmosphere
The three astronauts have re-entered the Earth's atmosphere.
They are aboard a Russian Soyuz capsule, which will attempt to land in the steppe of Kazakhstan soon.
The crew is experiencing the effects of gravity for the first time in 371 days.
Soyuz capsule to re-enter Earth's atmosphere soon
A Soyuz capsule carrying the three astronauts is set to re-enter the Earth's atmosphere soon.
The head shield on the craft will help keep the structure and crew safe from the extreme temperatures of Earth's plasma during re-entry.
Parachutes will deploy once the capsule is back on Earth, with a landing attempt to take place in the steppe of Kazakhstan.
Record-breaking astronauts depart the space station
A Soyuz capsule carrying the three astronauts has separated from the International Space Station.
It will now begin about a three-hour journey back to Earth and attempt a parachute-assisted landing at steppe of Kazakhstan, southeast of the town of Dzhezkazgan.
Nasa astronaut Frank Rubio and Russia's Dmitry Petelin and Sergey Prokopyev spent a total of 371 days in space.
Their original six-month mission was extended by another 180 days after the Soyuz capsule they had arrived in suffered damages, reportedly by a meteor.
Soyuz capsule to undock from space station soon
The Soyuz capsule carrying three astronauts is set to undock from the International Space Station soon.
Frank Rubio, Dmitry Petelin and Sergey Prokopyev put their spacesuits on this morning and took their seats to prepare for the three-hour journey back to Earth.
The craft will land in the steppe of Kazakhstan, with a parachute-assisted touchdown.
Watch: Soyuz capsule hatch closure
Astronauts board the Soyuz capsule
The three astronauts have boarded the Russian Soyuz capsule.
They will now wear their spacesuits and take their seats to begin preparations for undocking from the International Space Station.
The hatch on the station's side has been closed and the hatch from inside the Soyuz will close soon.
Russian Soyuz capsule ready to bring astronauts home
A Soyuz capsule is ready to bring back three astronauts that have been stuck in space for a year.
Nasa astronaut Frank Rubio and Russia's Dmitry Petelin and Sergey Prokopyev will take part in a farewell ceremony on the International Space Station before boarding the Russian spacecraft.
After the hatch is closed, the craft will separate from the ISS.
It will then be about a three-hour journey back to Earth, with a landing in the steppe of Kazakhstan.
Astronauts stuck on ISS set for return to Earth
Three astronauts that were forced to carry out a year-long mission on the International Space Station are set to return to Earth on Wednesday.
A Soyuz capsule carrying Nasa astronaut Frank Rubio and Russia's Dmitry Petelin and Sergey Prokopyev will attempt a landing in the steppe of Kazakhstan.
This is a rescue craft that is bringing them back, after the Soyuz capsule they arrived in was destroyed, reportedly from a meteor strike.
They will have completed 371 consecutive days in space once they are back, setting the US record for the longest space flight and the Russian record for the longest stay aboard the ISS.
How to watch their return
Nasa and Russian space agency Roscosmos will broadcast parts of their journey.
A live stream on Nasa's website and social media channel will begin at 8am, UAE time, which will show a farewell ceremony on the station.
The hatch closure of the Soyuz capsule will take place 20 minutes later.
Coverage will resume at 11.30am, with undocking procedures to take place at this time and Soyuz separation expected at 11.55am.
It will be about a three-hour journey home, with landing scheduled for 3.17pm.
What happened to their spacecraft?
The Soyuz MS-22 craft they had arrived in on September 21, 2022, suffered a coolant leak after it was reportedly struck by a micrometeor in December the same year that left a tiny hole in the structure.
The damages were beyond repair, so Roscosmos and Nasa had no choice but to extend the astronauts' stay aboard the ISS for another six months.
It would have been too dangerous for the crew to fly back because it would not have been able to maintain safe temperatures during re-entry to Earth.
Roscosmos then brought the capsule back empty and sent up a new one.
A replacement crew arrived earlier this month to take over the three astronauts' activities.
Will a year in space affect their health?
This was an extended time in microgravity conditions that could have long-term effects on the crews' bodies, according to doctors.
Dr Anil Grover, a specialist in internal medicine with Prime Hospital in Dubai, told The National in an earlier interview that astronauts can experience vision changes.
“The fluid shifts affecting the eyes can cause changes in vision or cause cataracts,” he said.
“The loss in bone density, even if partially recovered, can make astronauts more prone to fractures later in life, hence the need [for] regular exercise in space.”
Short-term effects include loss of orientation.
Astronauts who spend long periods in space struggle to walk right away because body fluids tend to pool in the upper body while in microgravity conditions.
The fluid shift causes the lower part of the body to become weaker, with muscle and bone density loss.
Once astronauts are back on Earth, gravity helps pull the fluids back down, with astronauts usually walking normally again within a few days.
What happens after they land?
Astronauts and cosmonauts who land on a Soyuz are taken to an airport in Karaganda, Kazakhstan, where sometimes they take part in a small welcome ceremony that is held in their honour, as well as a media briefing.
It is not clear if a ceremony will be held this time.
Mr Rubio will fly back to Houston from there and the Russian cosmonauts will head to Moscow.
All of them will take part in a recovery programme to help their bodies readapt to gravity.
Astronauts try on pressure suits to help them re-adapt to gravity
Sarwat Nasir reports:
Astronauts who have been stuck in space for a year have tried out a lower-body pressure suit to help them re-adapt to gravity more quickly once they land back on Earth on September 27.
Nasa's Frank Rubio and Russia's Dmitry Petelin and Sergey Prokopyev have been living and working aboard the International Space Station since September 21, 2022.
They were meant to return six months later, but their Russian Soyuz spacecraft was destroyed – reportedly from a meteor strike – causing their mission to be extended by another 180 days.
The astronaut and cosmonauts are spending their remaining time preparing for the journey home, including ensuring their rescue Soyuz craft and spacesuits are ready.
Crew replacing stranded astronauts arrive on the ISS
Sarwat Nasir reports:
A new crew arrived on the International Space Station on Friday to replace three astronauts who were forced to carry out a year-long mission after their spacecraft suffered catastrophic damage.
Nasa astronaut Loral O’Hara and Russian cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub lifted off aboard the Soyuz MS-24 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 7.44pm, UAE time.
They will take over from US astronaut Frank Rubio and Russia's Dmitry Petelin and Sergey Prokopyev, who are expected to return to Earth on September 27.
"The Soyuz MS-24 spacecraft carrying O’Hara, as well as Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub of Roscosmos, docked to the station’s Rassvet module at 2.53pm EDT (10.53pm UAE time)," said Nasa.
Nasa astronaut Frank Rubio breaks US record for longest space flight
Nasa astronaut Frank Rubio now holds the record for the longest US space flight.
Mr Rubio surpassed the US space endurance record of 355 days on Monday at the International Space Station.
He arrived at the outpost last September with two Russian cosmonauts for a routine six months. But their stay was doubled after their Soyuz capsule developed a coolant leak while parked at the space station.
The trio will return to Earth on September 27 in a replacement capsule that was sent up empty for the ride home.
‘He’s made a huge sacrifice’: US astronauts praise Frank Rubio for staying a year in space
Sarwat Nasir reports:
Nasa astronauts have praised their colleague Frank Rubio for staying a year on the International Space Station after he became stranded on the orbiting outpost when his capsule suffered catastrophic damage.
Mr Rubio and Russian cosmonauts Dmitry Petelin and Sergey Prokopyev travelled to the ISS on September 21, 2022, for what was meant to be a six-month mission.
But three months after docking, their Russian Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft was damaged – reportedly from a meteor strike.
Nasa and Russian space agency Roscosmos decided to extend their mission for another 180 days, with a rescue capsule scheduled to bring them back on September 27, 2023.
Doctors tell of health toll for astronauts stuck in space for a year
Sarwat Nasir reports:
Doctors have warned of the health effects three astronauts could experience once they are back on Earth, including impaired vision and loss of bone density, after being forced to spend an extra six months in space.
American Frank Rubio and Russian cosmonauts Dmitry Petelin and Sergey Prokopyev are due to return on September 27 on a rescue spacecraft.
The Russian Soyuz craft that took them to the International Space Station on September 21 last year suffered catastrophic damage – reportedly from meteor strike – causing a coolant leak that could not be repaired.
Because no spacecraft was lined up to take them back to Earth, their mission, which was meant to last six months, was extended by another six.
Astronauts stranded on space station prepare to come home
Sarwat Nasir reports:
Preparations are under way to bring back three astronauts who have been on the International Space Station for nearly a year – six months longer than expected.
A rescue craft sent by Russian space agency Roscosmos earlier this year is due to leave the ISS on September 27, with Nasa astronaut Frank Rubio and Russian cosmonauts Dmitry Petelin and Sergey Prokopyev on board.
A crew member for part of their time on the ISS has been UAE astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi, who arrived in March on the Arab world's longest space mission.
Russia launches Soyuz spacecraft to rescue astronauts trapped in space
Russia's Soyuz MS-23 spacecraft blasted off on a mission to rescue two cosmonauts and a Nasa astronaut stranded at the International Space Station after a leak in the cooling system of their capsule.
The unmanned craft lifted off from Baikonur space centre in Kazakhstan and had been placed in orbit, Russian news agency Tass reported.
The Soyuz capsule was expected to dock with the ISS early on Sunday.
Russia to send rescue craft to bring home astronauts trapped in space
Sarwat Nasir reports:
Russia will send a rescue craft to the International Space Station next month to bring a group of astronauts back to Earth after their Soyuz ship sustained catastrophic damage.
Three astronauts — two Russians and one American — arrived at the International Space Station in September on a spacecraft that was meant to take them home in March.
However, a coolant leak in December left the spacecraft so badly damaged that it will need to be brought back to Earth without a crew in autonomous mode.
Russia’s space agency Roscosmos will send another Soyuz on February 20 to bring back Russian cosmonauts Dmitry Petelin and Sergey Prokopyev as well as Nasa astronaut Frank Rubio.