A Russian Soyuz capsule carrying three of the International Space Station's six crew members suffered an unexpected communications black out just before plunging back into Earth's atmosphere late Thursday, completing a nail-biting descent in radio silence with repeated calls from flight controllers near Moscow going unanswered.

Read our landing story.

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VIDEO: CLOSE-UP VIEW OF TOUCHDOWN PLAY
VIDEO: THE CREW EGRESS SPACECRAFT PLAY
VIDEO: RECOVERY FORCES OPEN THE HATCH PLAY
VIDEO: AERIAL VIEW OF CAPSULE LANDING PLAY
VIDEO: SOYUZ UNDOCKS FROM SPACE STATION PLAY
VIDEO: CAPSULE DEPARTS FOR HOME PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: CREW BOARDS SOYUZ TMA-21 PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: FAREWELL BEFORE UNDOCKING PLAY | HI-DEF
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More pictures from today's Soyuz landing and a map illustrating where the capsule returned to Earth are posted on our Spaceflight Now's Facebook page.

All three space fliers appear in good shape after their landing. They'll be choppered to the Kazakh city of Karaganda, then Borisenko and Samokutyaev will take a plane back to Star City outside Moscow. Garan will board a NASA aircraft for the long flight to Houston later today.

Andrey Borisenko has been extracted from the Soyuz after his first spaceflight. He is now being seated outside in a reclining chair next to the crewmates.

Borisenko, 47, is a former flight controller in the Russian mission operations center for the Mir and international space stations before being selected as a cosmonaut.

Read his full bio.

A big smile from Ron Garan.

NASA astronaut Ron Garan has exited the Soyuz after his second spaceflight to the International Space Station. He has accumulated 178 days in orbit.

Garan, 49, previously flew to the station aboard shuttle Discovery in 2008 to deliver and activate the Japanese Kibo laboratory module. The retired U.S. Air Force colonel also logged three spacewalks during that STS-124 flight.

Read his full bio.

The official landing time has been marked by the Russians as 11:59:39 p.m. EDT.

First to exit the capsule was Russian cosmonaut Alexander Samokutyaev, commander of the Soyuz spacecraft during launch and landing.

Samokutyaev, 41, is a lieutenant colonel in the Russian air force with hundreds of flight hours and parachute jumps to his credit. This was his first spaceflight.

Read his full bio.

The landing forces will erect the inflatable medical tent where the Soyuz crew can remove their spacesuits and undergo preliminary exams.

"There's a lot of advantages to landing on your side," station commander Mike Fossum just replied to news of the Soyuz landing. "You don't have to hoist yourself up through that hatch."

The recovery team aboard a convoy of Russian helicopters is touching down around the spacecraft to begin assisting the crew out of the capsule. The Soyuz came to rest on its side, which is not uncommon.

LANDING CONFIRMED! The Soyuz TMA-21 capsule has landed in Kazakhstan, capping the 164-day voyage of NASA astronaut Ron Garan and Russian cosmonauts Andrey Borisenko and Alexander Samokutyaev to the International Space Station.

Standing by for confirmation of touchdown.

At an altitude of about 12 meters, cockpit displays will tell the cosmonauts to prepare for the soft landing engine firing. Just one meter above the surface, and just seconds before touchdown, the six solid propellant engines are fired in a final braking maneuver, enabling the Soyuz to land to complete its mission, settling down at a velocity of about 1.5 meters per second (3.35 mph).

Now 2,600 feet above the ground.

Now descending through 4,900 feet, Russian flight controllers report.

Despite the lack of communications from the Soyuz cockpit, NASA says all indications show a normal re-entry by the spacecraft.

Now five minutes to touchdown as Soyuz descends to Kazakhstan under its main parachute.

At an altitude of five kilometers, the module's heat shield is scheduled to be jettisoned. This is followed by the termination of the aerodynamic spin cycle and the dumping of any residual propellant from the Soyuz. Computers also will arm the module's seat shock absorbers in preparation for landing.

With the jettisoning of the capsule's heat shield, the Soyuz altimeter is exposed to the surface of the Earth. Using a reflector system, signals are bounced to the ground from the Soyuz and reflected back, providing the capsule's computers updated information on altitude and rate of descent.

Visual spotting of the Soyuz is reported by the recovery forces and they confirm the Soyuz is descending under its parachute.

The Soyuz flight path tonight crosses the countries of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan before landing in central Kazakhstan to the east of the city of Dzhezkazgan.

After being out of communications with Mission Control for some time, the aircraft has established a communications link with the crew aboard Soyuz. The fixed-wing aircraft serves as the central command for the search and recovery forces.

A fixed-wing aircraft flying as part of the recovery forces in the landing zone have established two-way communications with the crew and report the returning spacemen say they are doing fine.

Once the drogue chute is jettisoned, the main parachute is deployed. It is connected to the Descent Module by two harnesses, covers an area of about 1,000 square meters and slows descent to 7.2 meters/second.

Initially, the Descent Module will hang underneath the main parachute at a 30-degree angle with respect to the horizon for aerodynamic stability, but the bottommost harness will be severed a few minutes before landing, allowing the Descent Module to hang vertically through touchdown.

Ballistics officers in the Russian Mission Control outside Moscow report parachute deploy.

If all is progressing normally, onboard computers should be starting a commanded sequence for deployment of the capsule's parachutes at an altitude of about 10 kilometers. Two "pilot" parachutes are unfurled first, extracting a 24-square-meter drogue parachute. Within 16 seconds, the craft's fall will slow from 230 meters per second to about 80 m/s.

The parachute deployment creates a gentle spin for the Soyuz as it dangles underneath the drogue chute, assisting in the capsule's stability in the final minutes before touchdown.

A beacon is being emitted by the Soyuz. Mission Control says that is a sign that module separation did occur.

Twenty minutes to landing. The Soyuz is making its fiery plunge into the atmosphere now.

Russian flight controllers lost voice communications with the crew several minutes ago. Although not unusual for a Soyuz re-entry, this lack of information means confirmation of mark events during descent is not possible.

At this point in the descent, the Soyuz is hitting the upper fringes of the atmosphere at an altitude of 400,000 feet. The Expedition crew will soon begin to feel the first tugs of Earth's gravity after six months in space.

Still awaiting confirmation of module separation.

The Soyuz computers have been loaded with the commands to perform the pyrotechnic separation of the modules.

Time to touchdown is now 30 minutes.

In about five minutes at an altitude of 87 miles, just above the first traces of the Earth's atmosphere, computers will command the separation of the three modules that comprise the Soyuz vehicle. With the crew strapped in to the Descent Module, the forward Orbital Module containing the docking mechanism and rendezvous antennas and the rear Instrumentation/Propulsion Module, which houses the engines and avionics, will pyrotechnically separate and burn up in the atmosphere.

The Descent Module's computers will orient the capsule with its ablative heat shield pointing forward to repel the buildup of heat as it plunges into the atmosphere. Entry interface at the upper fringes of the atmosphere, when the capsule is about 400,000 feet above the Earth, happens about three minutes after module separation.

The crew members, already strapped into their seats, have now closed their helmet visors.

The Soyuz flight path is crossing Africa now as the spacecraft falls back toward the atmosphere.

Some pictures from today's Soyuz departure and a map illustrating the planned landing site are posted on our Spaceflight Now's Facebook page.

"Everything is in order onboard," says cosmonaut Alexander Samokutyaev.

BURN COMPLETE! The Soyuz has performed its braking maneuver, committing the craft for entry into the atmosphere. Touchdown is about 50 minutes away.

The craft is flying backward over the south-central Atlantic Ocean on a northeasterly trajectory bound for Africa and eventually Asia where landing is expected at 12:00 a.m. EDT in central Kazakhstan, or 10:00 a.m. local time.

BURN IGNITION! Thrusters on the Russian Soyuz spacecraft are firing to brake from orbit. This deorbit burn is expected to last four minutes and 20 seconds to put the capsule on a course for the trip back to Earth.

All of the Russian search and recovery helicopters are airborne, flying out of staging points on race track patterns around the landing zone to await the Soyuz arrival an hour from now.

Clocks are counting down to ignition of the deorbit burn at 11:05 p.m. EDT. It will slow the Soyuz by 258 miles per hour.

The weather forecast at the primary landing zone calls for some low- and high-level clouds but dry conditions, light northerly winds and a temperatures around 65 degrees F.

Soyuz has been drifting toward a point about 7.5 miles away from the space station for the deorbit burn that is coming up in 25 minutes.

Mission Control reports that the Russian ground team has uplinked the deorbit and entry targets to the Soyuz spacecraft computers.

The deorbit burn is coming up at 11:05:27 p.m. EDT, a braking maneuver lasting 4 minutes and 20 minutes. Separation of the Soyuz modules is expected at 11:33:24 p.m. and entry interface at 11:36:43 p.m. The parachutes deploy at 11:45:20 p.m., leading to touchdown around 12:00:22 a.m. EDT.

The International Space Station now belongs to the new Expedition 29 commander Mike Fossum, cosmonaut Sergei Volkov and Japanese astronaut Satoshi Furukawa flying a three-person crew for the next two months before new members are launched on Nov. 14.

A 15-second separation firing by the Soyuz's thrusters has been completed to accelerate the spacecraft's departure from the outpost.

"You look great backing away, guys," commander Mike Fossum just radioed as the Soyuz departs. "It's been great sharing space with you. Safe journey and soft landing, my friends. Godspeed from the International Space Station."

The undocking occurred 245 miles over northern China.

UNDOCKING. The Soyuz TMA-21 spacecraft has separated from the space station after 162 days there, setting the stage for tonight's return to Earth with NASA astronaut Ron Garan and Russian cosmonauts Andrey Borisenko and Alexander Samokutyaev.

The undocking command has been issued. Hooks and latches holding the Soyuz and the station's Poisk mini research module tightly together are being opened now.

Soyuz's docking mechanism is powered up and the station's thrusters are inhibited for the upcoming undocking event.

In the next few minutes, the International Space Station will be placed into a "free drift" mode in preparation for the Soyuz departure. The complex has been maneuvered into the proper orientation for undocking.

The homeward-bound crew has worked together for the past couple of hours to power up the Soyuz, active the craft's systems, remove docking clamps, depressurize the vestibule between the capsule and station, and don their Sokol spacesuits. Undocking is set for 8:38 p.m. EDT.

Ron Garan, Andrey Borisenko and Alexander Samokutyaev have boarded their Soyuz spacecraft for tonight's journey from the International Space Station to the landing site in Kazakhstan. The crew confirmed at 5:30 p.m. EDT that the hatchway between the station and capsule was closed.

"Well guys, it's hard to believe. It's time. It's time, you've been up here almost six months, we've learned everything from you we could possibly learn and now it's time to say goodbye," new Expedition 29 commander Mike Fossum said in the farewell ceremony a short time ago inside the Destiny laboratory.

"We don't want to see you go, we like the company, we love the friendship. And like we said the other night, we're like brothers, and we've lived together closer than families in many ways. So thank you very much and we wish you all the best and soft landing. We cannot wait to see your faces back on Earth."

An American astronaut and two Russian cosmonauts will depart the International Space Station tonight and return to Earth in a parachute-equipped Soyuz descent capsule after a half-year in orbit.

Commander Andrey Borisenko, fellow cosmonaut Alexander Samokutyaev and NASA astronaut Ron Garan are heading home after their tour-of-duty as part of Expeditions 27 and 28.

The trio will say their farewells to the station's other residents -- the new Expedition 29 commander Mike Fossum, cosmonaut Sergei Volkov and Japanese astronaut Satoshi Furukawa -- then float into the Soyuz TMA-21 craft currently docked to the station's Poisk module and close the hatchway around 5:20 p.m. EDT.

The homeward-bound crew will work together for a next couple of hours to power up the Soyuz, active the craft's systems, remove docking clamps, depressurize the vestibule between the capsule and station and perform other work to ready for undocking.

Borisenko, Samokutyaev and Garan have been living on the station since April 6. Their departure begins the next rotation of crews and change of Expedition mission number.

Tonight's Soyuz departure activities begin when the command to open hooks and latches firmly holding the capsule to its docking port is sent at 8:35 p.m. EDT (0035 GMT). Physical separation between the two craft occurs three minutes later at 8:38 p.m.

After moving a short distance from the station, the Soyuz engines will fire for 15 seconds to propel the craft out of the orbiting lab's vicinity.

About two-and-a-half hours later, the capsule's engines will ignite for the deorbit burn to brake from space. The onboard computers will initiate an engine firing at 11:05:27 p.m. EDT (0305:27 GMT) that slows the ship by 258 miles per hour, just enough to slip out of orbit for the return to Earth. The burn will last four minutes and 20 seconds.

Shortly before reaching the top of the atmosphere, the Soyuz's three distinct modules will separate at 11:33:24 p.m. EDT (0333:247 GMT). The crew will be located in the Descent Module, which is sandwiched between the forward Orbital Module containing the docking mechanism and the rear Instrumentation and Propulsion Module housing the engines and avionics.

The Descent Module orients itself to point the ablative heat shield in the direction of travel to protect the craft and crew from the intense plunge back to Earth. At 11:36:43 p.m. EDT (0336:43 GMT) and an altitude of 63 miles, the moment of Entry Interface occurs as the capsule hits the upper fringes of the atmosphere for the fiery re-entry.

During the fall to Earth, the Orbital Module and Instrumentation and Propulsion Module will burn up in the atmosphere.

About seven minutes after Entry Interface, the crew will experience the period of maximum G-loads during entry at an altitude of 20 miles, as they feel the tug of Earth's gravity for the first time since launch.

At 11:45:20 p.m. (0345:20 GMT), the onboard computers will start a commanded sequence for deployment of the capsule's parachutes at an altitude of about 6.6 miles. Two "pilot" parachutes are unfurled first, extracting a drogue parachute.

The parachute deployment creates a gentle spin for the Soyuz as it dangles underneath the drogue chute, assisting in the capsule's stability in the final minutes before touchdown.

The drogue chute will be jettisoned, allowing the main parachute to be deployed. It is connected to the Descent Module by two harnesses.

Initially, the Descent Module will hang underneath the main parachute at a 30-degree angle with respect to the horizon for aerodynamic stability, but the bottommost harness will be severed a few minutes before landing, allowing the Descent Module to hang vertically through touchdown.

At an altitude of just over three miles, the heat shield will be cast free. That is followed by dumping of any residual propellant from the Soyuz.

Once the heat shield is gone, the Soyuz altimeter is exposed to the surface of the Earth. Using a reflector system, signals are bounced to the ground from the Soyuz and reflected back, providing the capsule's computers updated information on altitude and rate of descent.

At an altitude of about 40 feet, cockpit displays will tell the crew to prepare for the soft landing engine firing. Just seconds before touchdown, the six solid propellant engines are fired in a final braking maneuver, enabling the Soyuz to land to complete its mission.

Touchdown is expected at 12:00:22 a.m. EDT (0400:22 GMT) on the steppes of central Kazakhstan. The target landing spot is 47.16 degrees North latitude and 69.35 degrees East longitude. The mission concludes with a duration of 164 days, 5 hours and 42 minutes.

A group of Russian helicopters carrying the recovery forces should arrive soon after landing to help the crew exit the capsule.

Each crew member will be placed in special reclining chairs near the capsule for initial medical tests and begin readapting to Earth's gravity. They will be transferred into a portable medical tent erected near the touchdown point where the three crew members can remove their spacesuits.

Post-landing plans call for the crew to be flown from the site in helicopters.

Watch this page for live updates during the undocking and landing.

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