"International Space Station Crew, Including First Female Belarusian Astronaut, Safely Returns to Earth"

A NASA astronaut, a Russian cosmonaut, and Belarus's first cosmonaut returned safely to Earth after a two-week mission aboard the International Space Station. The descent went smoothly, marking the end of a 204-day mission for the American astronaut and the first-ever space stint for the Belarusian cosmonaut. The mission faced a two-day delay due to pre-launch issues, highlighting challenges in Russia's space program, which has been marred by financial problems and recent setbacks. Despite strained Russian-Western relations, the ISS remains a rare area of cooperation, but Russia's space sector faces competition from private companies like SpaceX.