Astronauts Malenchenko, Williams and Hoshide, touched down in Kazakhstan

Russian space agency helicopters and vehicles stand near the Soyuz capsule after the spacecraft 's landing near the town of Arkalyk in northern Kazakhstan.

Russian cosmonaut Yury Malenchenko and two astronauts, Sunita Williams of the US and Akihiko Hoshide of Japan, touched down on the steppes of Kazakhstan in a Russian Soyuz capsule after spending over four months aboard the International Space Station.

Picture: MAXIM SHIPENKOV/AFP/Getty Images