[Asia Economy Reporter Jin-ho Kim] Amid escalating tensions between Russia and the United States due to the Ukraine crisis, it has been revealed that the two countries are still maintaining a peaceful state beyond Earth.
On the 30th (local time), according to major foreign media, Russian astronauts who served as commanders of the International Space Station (ISS) and American astronauts who set the longest ISS stay record returned to Earth aboard a Russian spacecraft.
According to foreign media, Russian astronauts Anton Shkaplerov and Pyotr Dubrov, and American astronaut Mark Vande Hei left the ISS aboard Russia's Soyuz MS-19 and landed in Kazakhstan on the same day.
Shkaplerov, who served as the ISS commander, attracted attention by handing over the symbolic key of the space station's command to American astronaut Thomas Marshburn before leaving space and returning to Earth. Before leaving the space station, Shkaplerov embraced his colleagues and greeted them as "my space brothers and sisters."
He said, "People on Earth have problems, but in space, we are just one crew," adding, "The ISS is the future of space exploration and a symbol of friendship and cooperation."
Initially, some concerns arose that Vande Hei might face difficulties returning aboard a Russian spacecraft due to the deepening conflict between the West and Russia following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
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