Korolev, Moscow Region.
The International Space Station (ISS) fourth visiting crew (VC-4) – the
Russians: Sergey Zaletin and Yuri Lonchakov and the Belgian: Frank de
Winne – returned with the space vehicle Soyuz TM-34 landing module upon the
11-days flight program.

Soyuz TM-34 was undocked from the ISS Russian Segment ZARYA Module on
November 9, 2002 at 23:44 in Moscow time, following the Moscow Region
Mission Control Center (MCC-M) commanding. The vehicle descent was performed
nominally in automatic mode.

The landing module was landed in the target district, located near Arcalyck
(Kazakhstan). At the first time over recent 10 years the landing was
performed at night, the touch with ground surface by the landing module was
performed at 03:04 in Moscow time. Search and rescue service effectively
provided a timely search of landing module in complicated dark night
conditions, and its escorting on the phase of its pancake and landing with
subsequent crew evacuation from the landing site.

The landing site coordinates are 51.00 degrees of North latitude and 67.35
degrees of East longitude.

The VC-4 flight tasks were successfully completed. The manned transfer
vehicle Soyuz TM-34, been a part of ISS orbital complex since April 27,
2002, as a rescue vehicle and been the earlier manned space vehicle
modification of Soyuz type, was replaced by Soyuz TMA-1, the new
modification, designed by the S.P. Korolev RSC Energia specialists in
cooperation with its subcontractors from Russian rocket and space industry.
During this crew flight the program of scientific research and experiments,
including those related to Odissea Project, was fully completed.

Besides the flight program completion the VC-4 visited the ISS American
Orbital Segment (USOS) pressurized compartment and familiarized themselves
with its equipment, performed a replacement of Soyuz TM-34/Soyuz TMA-1 IELK,
developed the emergency complex escape operations, performed the medical
examination and physical exercises required for descent preparation.

During the joint flight the TV-reports on the VC-4 arrival to the ISS and
its departure from the Station before return to the Earth were made. The
video filming and photographing of crew operation and rest on-board ISS as
well as activity connected with symbolics items; TV-sessions with European
Space Agency (ESA) representatives, mass media; TV-sessions with
schoolchildren under the Odissea Project were performed.

The Soyuz TM-34 flight control on the phase of its return to the Earth was
performed by the Main Operational Management Group (GOGU) located at MCC-M
(Flight Director is pilot-cosmonaut V.A. Solovjev) and operating together
with the American Control Center (Houston) specialists.

During the Soyuz TM-34 descent/landing maneuvering the members of State
Committee (Co-chairmans: N.F. Moiseev, Secretary of State, First Deputy
General Director of Rosaviacosmos; V.A. Grin, Deputy Director of TsNIIMASH)
and Technical Management of Manned Space Programs (Yu.P. Semenov, Technical
Manager of Russian Manned Programs, General Designer of S.P. Korolev RSC
Energia, Member of the Russian Academy of Science) as well as
representatives of Rosaviacosmos, NASA, ESA, leading specialists of RSC
Energia, Russian enterprises and organizations involved in the ISS Project
realization.

The ISS orbital complex is continuing its flight in the near-earth orbit
with inclination of 51.650, maximum and minimum altitude of 418.1 and 384.4
km, respectively, and orbital period of 92.3 min.

At present, the orbital complex with mass of 165.9 tons operates as a
following composition: Functional Cargo Unit ZARYA, Service Module ZVEZDA,
Docking Compartment PIRS, manned vehicle Soyuz TMA-1, cargo vehicle Progress
M1-9, as well as modules: UNITY and DESTINY and airlock QUEST.

The ISS-5 main crew – Russian cosmonauts: Valeri Korzun (commander) and
Sergei Treschev (on-board engineer) and American astronaut: Peggy Whitson
(on-board engineer) – is in the process of on-board operations under the
flight program. This crew is to be replaced during implementation of flight
program by American vehicle of Shuttle type, which launch is scheduled for
November 11, 2002.