Russia deploys aircraft to ensure safe return of ISS crew

MOSCOW - Fifteen aircraft will be deployed to ensure the safe landing and smooth rescue of the International Space Station (ISS) crew returning to Earth in a few hours, the Russian aviation agency Rosaviatsia said on Monday.

According to information on its official website, the agency has deployed three large airplanes, 12 helicopters and six land vehicles in the designated landing area.

The landing capsule of the Soyuz TMA-07M spacecraft is due to touch down at 6:31 am Moscow time (0231 GMT) Tuesday in Kazakhstan.

It will bring back Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield, Russian Roman Romanenko and American Thomas Marshburn.

Russian cosmonauts Pavel Vinogradov and Alexander Misurkin, as well as NASA astronaut Christopher Cassidy, will stay on the ISS. In late May, they will be joined by Russian Fyodor Yurchikhin, American Karen Nyberg and Italian Luca Parmitano.