Soyuz MS-03 spacecraft with Russian and French astronauts onboard lands on Earth

New Delhi : A Soyuz MS-03 spacecraft ended its 196-day marathon on Friday after making a successful landing on Earth with French astronaut Thomas Pesquet and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy on board.

The spacecraft landed at the International Space Station.

“All is well. The landing has taken place. Now the cosmonauts will be evacuated from the capsule,” a spokesman for Russian mission control told AFP.

“It’s been a fantastic adventure and amazing ride,” 39- year-old Pesquet tweeted a few hours before the undocking.

The 196-day trip fell a little shy for Pesquet, a first-time astronaut. Samantha Cristoforetti of Italy spent 199 days on her mission in 2015.

Former Russian Air Force pilot Oleg Novitskiy, 45, was completing his second mission to the ISS.

NASA TV also released the footage of landing, where the two astronauts were attended by Russian and European crews on the ground.