MOSCOW, April 9(Xinhua)-- The Soyuz space capsule carrying Brazil's first astronaut Marcus Pontes and his U.S. and Russian counterparts from the International Space Station(ISS), landed in Kazakhstan early Sunday, space officials said.

Pontes, a 43-year-old air force officer and Brazil's first astronaut who arrived at the station on April 1 along with a new ISS crew, carried a series of scientific experiments during his nine-day stay on the orbiting laboratory.

The Soyuz capsule touched down on schedule at 03:47 Moscow time(2347 GMT Saturday) about 50 km northeast of the town of Arkalyk, the Mission Control outside Moscow said.

Pontes, seated in a chair outside the capsule, smiled and gave a thumbs-up as he took off his spacesuit. He was handed a Brazilian flag and a Panama hat that was pulled out of the capsule.

Fifteen Russian helicopters and planes as well as an American flying hospital and vehicles were rush to the landing site.

The capsule was discovered by search teams soon after its landing and, once out of the capsule, the astronauts were covered with a blanket and served with hot tea to keep warm. They underwent medical checkup at the landing site and are due to be flown to Moscow later in the day. Enditem

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