Running a day late because of freezing rain and low clouds in Kazakhstan, three space station crewmen strapped into their Soyuz ferry craft and dropped out of orbit Friday, plunging to a jarring touchdown on the fog-shrouded Kazakh steppe to close out a 144-day mission.

Read our landing story.

The crew is being loaded directly into helicopters for an expedited departure from the landing site, skipping the medical tent activities.

Flight engineer and Soyuz co-pilot Evgeni Tarelkin, a captain in the Russian Air Force, has been extracted from the capsule after his maiden spaceflight to complete tonight's crew egress.

NASA astronaut Kevin Ford, a retired colonel in the U.S. Air Force and former pilot of space shuttle Discovery in 2009, has exited the Soyuz. Ford now has 158 days spent in space.

First to exit the capsule was Soyuz commander Oleg Novitskiy, a colonel in the Russian Air Force now back from his first spaceflight.

Standing by to see the crew exit the capsule.

Soyuz appears to have touched down right on target.

The landing forces will erect the inflatable and heated medical tent where the Soyuz crew can remove their spacesuits and undergo preliminary exams. The team reports the capsule did land upright.

The recovery team aboard a convoy of Russian helicopters is landing around the spacecraft to begin assisting the crew out of the capsule. The team reports the capsule did land upright.

TOUCHDOWN! The Soyuz TMA-07M capsule has landed in Kazakhstan, NASA just announced, capping the 144-day voyage of NASA's Kevin Ford and Russian cosmonauts Oleg Novitskiy and Evgeni Tarelkin to the International Space Station on Expeditions 33 and 34, a mission that traveled 60,998,150 statute miles and spanned 2,304 orbits of the planet.

Standing by for confirmation of touchdown.

Now descending through 1,000 feet.

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).

The crew reports it feels fine.

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 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.

The spacecraft is 12,100 feet in altitude.

Recovery forces report a visual sighting of the descending spacecraft.

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.

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.

Now back in communications with Russian flight controllers, Oleg Novitskiy reports the G-load is going down now.

The crew experience the period of maximum G-loads at this point during entry.

A map illustrating the planned landing site is posted on our Spaceflight Now's Facebook page.

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

Module separation has occurred, Mission Control reports, via bits of telemetry being received in Moscow.

The three segments of the Soyuz TMA-06M spacecraft have jettisoned apart, allowing the crew-carrying Descent Module to safely ferry the three crew members back to Earth. The no-longer-needed Orbital Module and Instrumentation/Propulsion Module are designed to burn up in the atmosphere.

Entry Interface. The Soyuz is now 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 four months in space.

The entry guidance by the spacecraft's onboard software package is scheduled to start in a couple of minutes.

Still awaiting confirmation of module separation. Very limited communications are expected from the Soyuz during today's descent given the higher altitude of the International Space Station and the larger separation distances to the capsule antennas, NASA says.

Time to touchdown is now 30 minutes.

In about three 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 closed their helmet visors.

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

Low clouds and fog have developed in the landing area, forcing some of the recovery helicopters to divert. The search team is switching to ground vehicles to reach the targeted touchdown point.

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 11:05 p.m. EDT in north-central Kazakhstan, or 9:05 a.m. local time, about 83 minutes after sunrise.

Mission Control reports all of the deorbit burn parameters looked good. The spacecraft is headed home.

BURN COMPLETE! The Soyuz has performed its braking maneuver, committing the craft for entry into the atmosphere. Touchdown is about 47 minutes away.

BURN IGNITION! Thrusters on the Russian Soyuz spacecraft are firing to brake from orbit. This deorbit burn is expected to last four minutes and 44 seconds to put the capsule on a course for the trip back to Earth.

Clocks are counting down to ignition of the deorbit burn at 10:13 p.m. EDT. It will slow the Soyuz by 286 miles per hour.

Now one hour to touchdown.

The Soyuz has gradually drifted away from the International Space Station over the past couple of hours. The deorbit burn is coming up at 10:13 p.m. EDT, a braking maneuver lasting 4 minutes and 44 seconds.

The International Space Station now belongs to the new Expedition 35 commander Chris Hadfield of the Canadian Space Agency, NASA's Tom Marshburn and Russia's Roman Romanenko flying as a three-person crew for the next couple of weeks before new members are launched on March 28.

The separation firing by the Soyuz's thrusters has been completed to accelerate the spacecraft's departure from the International Space Station. The capsule will be several miles away when it performs the deorbit burn today at 10:13 p.m. EDT. Touchdown is scheduled for 11:05 p.m. EDT.

The undocking occurred 254 miles over northeastern Mongolia.

UNDOCKING. The Soyuz TMA-06M spacecraft has separated from the space station after 142 days there, setting the stage for today's return to Earth with NASA's Kevin Ford and Russian cosmonauts Oleg Novitskiy and Evgeni Tarelkin.

The undocking command has been issued. Hooks and latches holding the Soyuz and the station's Poisk 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.

Frigid temperatures are forecast for the Kazakhstan landing zone where the Soyuz spacecraft will touch down at 11:05 p.m. EDT. The latest outlook from the Spaceflight Meteorology Group based in Houston calls for some broken clouds, winds from the southeast at 7 mph, a temperature of 15 degrees F and wind chill of 4 degrees F.

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 7:43 p.m. EDT.

Kevin Ford, Oleg Novitskiy and Evgeni Tarelkin have boarded their Soyuz spacecraft for this evening's journey from the International Space Station to the landing site in Kazakhstan. The crew closed the hatchway between the station and capsule at 4:38 p.m. EDT.

Undocking is coming up at 7:43 p.m. EDT, leading to the deorbit burn at 10:13 p.m., separation of the Soyuz spacecraft modules at 10:40 p.m., hitting the atmosphere at 10:42 p.m., deploying the chutes at 10:51 p.m. and touching down at 11:05 p.m. EDT.

The landing site tonight is targeted about 36 miles northeast of the Kazakh town of Arkalyk. The precise coordinates are 50.39 degrees North and 67.20 degrees East. The Soyuz should touch down about 83 minutes after sunrise.

A rarity for the Russian space program occurred today when the landing of a Soyuz spacecraft was postponed due to adverse weather conditions back on Earth.

"Station, Moscow," said Vladimir Solovyov, chief Russian flight director.

"This Oleg," replied Soyuz TMA-06M commander Oleg Novitskiy.

"Hello Oleg. I would like to talk to you, as the commander, and the whole crew. The weather has not improved yet, and I talked to our colleagues in Kazakhstan last night and the weather was really horrible, and a decision was made not to risk and we suggest that we delay the landing," Solovyov radioed.

"I understand," Novitskiy replied. "So the landing will be one day later?"

"Yes. So please stop all of your preparation activities and resume them tomorrow."

Fog and freezing rain today had prevented recovery forces from deploying to the Kazakh town of Arkalyk from their staging site in Kustanai.

"As the weather has trended with some improvement throughout the course of the day, it's simply not good enough to enable the helicopters to fly down to Arkalyk in the predawn darkness Friday (Kazakhstan time) in order to set for the recovery operations had we set up for a landing this evening," NASA spokesman Rob Navias said.

The weather is forecast to improve significantly over the next 24 hours as high pressure builds in, clearing out the low clouds and poor visibility.

Under the revised plan, Ford, Novitskiy and Tarelkin will board their spacecraft and close the hatchway at 4:25 p.m. EDT hatch, setting the stage for undocking at 7:43 p.m. EDT. The capsule will ignite the deorbit burn at 10:12 p.m. EDT for touchdown in Kazakhstan at 11:06 p.m. EDT.

Today's decision came just minutes before the crew was scheduled to float into their return craft and shut the hatches.

The last time weather delayed a Soyuz landing was Expedition 18 in April 2009.

DELAY. Poor weather conditions in Kazakhstan have forced Russian space officials to postpone the return of Soyuz TMA-06M from the International Space Station. The spacecraft will remain docked to the outpost for an additional day, allowing the weather to improve as forecast, and NASA's Kevin Ford and Russian cosmonauts Oleg Novitskiy and Evgeni Tarelkin will return to Earth on Friday night

The weather forecast for the landing zone at touchdown time tonight calls for clouds at 800 feet, snow flurries, winds of 12 gusting to 18 knots, a temperature of 27 degrees F and a windchill in the mid-teens.

The trouble, however, was low visibility and freezing rain today that prevented the search and recovery helicopters from moving into their pre-staging location near the landing site. The question now being posed to managers is whether the conditions have improved enough to resume launch preps for the ground forces.

The State Commission is meeting at this time to decide whether to press ahead with the Soyuz spacecraft's landing opportunity tonight.

Russian space program officials are reviewing the weather forecast for tonight's landing of the Soyuz and Expedition 34 crew members, potentially deciding later today to postpone the capsule's return to Earth by 24 hours.

Managers will meet this afternoon (U.S. time) to make a final "go" or "no go" call.

Fog and freezing rain delayed some search and recovery helicopters from deploying to the town of Arkalyk from their staging site in Kustanai, Kazakhstan. The Soyuz is scheduled to touch down about 50 miles north-northeast of Arkalyk at 11:57 p.m. EDT tonight.

Improving weather conditions are expected over the next 24 hours, NASA says.

After turning command of the International Space Station to a Canadian astronaut for the first time, an American and two Russian crewmates will complete their five-month mission aboard the complex Thursday and return to Earth in a parachute-equipped Soyuz descent capsule.

Touchdown in Kazakhstan is expected at 11:57 p.m. EDT (0357 GMT Friday).

NASA's Kevin Ford and Russian cosmonauts Oleg Novitskiy and Evgeni Tarelkin are heading home after their tour-of-duty as part of Expeditions 33 and 34.

The trio will say their farewells to the station's other residents -- the new Expedition 35 commander Chris Hadfield of the Canadian Space Agency, NASA's Tom Marshburn and Russia's Roman Romanenko -- then float into the Soyuz TMA-06M craft currently docked to the station's Poisk module and close the hatchway around 5:15 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.

Ford, Novitskiy and Tarelkin have been living on the station since Oct. 25. Their departure continues the next rotation of crews and change of Expedition mission number.

Once the undocking happens, the station will be staffed by just Hadfield, Marshburn and Romanenko until another Russian Soyuz spacecraft launches at the end of this month.

Thursday's Soyuz departure activities begin when the command to open hooks and latches firmly holding the capsule to its docking port is sent at 8:27 p.m. EDT. Physical separation between the two craft occurs three minutes later at 8:30 p.m. (0030 GMT)

After moving a short distance from the station, the Soyuz engines will fire for 15 seconds to begin propelling the craft out of the orbiting lab's vicinity at 8:33 p.m.

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 11:04 p.m. EDT (0304 GMT) that slows the ship by 286 miles per hour, just enough to slip out of orbit for the return to Earth. The burn will last 4 minutes and 45 seconds.

Shortly before reaching the top of the atmosphere, the Soyuz's three distinct modules will separate at 11:31 p.m. EDT (0331 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 11:34 p.m. EDT (0334 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 24 miles, as they feel the tug of Earth's gravity for the first time since launch.

At 11:43 p.m. (0343 GMT), the onboard computers will start a commanded sequence for deployment of the capsule's parachutes at an altitude of about 6.7 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 11:57 p.m. EDT (0357 GMT) on the steppes of Kazakhstan. The target landing spot is 51.01 degrees North latitude and 67.11 degrees East longitude. The mission concludes with a duration of 142 days, 17 hours and 7 minutes.

It will be about two hours after sunrise at the landing site, which is located about 52 miles north-northeast of the town of Arkalyk.

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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