Photos: Space Station's Expedition 32 Crew Lands on Earth

Expedition 32 Landing

Expedition 32 NASA Flight Engineer signs the side of his Soyuz TMA-04M spacecraft shortly after he landed with his crew mates Expedition 32 Commander Gennady Padalka and Flight Engineer Sergei Revin of Russia in a remote area near the town of Arkalyk, Kazakhstan, on Monday, Sept. 17, 2012. Acaba, Padalka and Revin returned from five months onboard the International Space Station where they served as members of the Expedition 31 and 32 crews.

Expedition 32 Landing

The Soyuz TMA-04M spacecraft is seen following its landing with Expedition 32 Commander Gennady Padalka of Russia, NASA Flight Engineer Joe Acaba and Russian Flight Engineer Sergei Revin in a remote area near the town of Arkalyk, Kazakhstan, on Monday, September 17, 2012. Padalka, Acaba and Revin returned from five months onboard the International Space Station where they served as members of the Expedition 31 and 32 crews.

Expedition 32 Landing

Russian support personnel are seen as they access the crew of the Soyuz TMA-04M capsule shortly after it landed with Expedition 32 Commander Gennady Padalka of Russia and Flight Engineers Joe Acaba of NASA and Sergei Revin of Russia in a remote area near the town of Arkalyk, Kazakhstan, on Monday, Sept. 17, 2012. Padalka, Acaba and Revin returned from five months onboard the International Space Station where they served as members of the Expedition 31 and 32 crews.

Expedition 32 Landing

Expedition 32 Russian Flight Engineer Sergei Revin is seen as he rests outside the Soyuz TMA-04M capsule just minutes after he and Expedition 32 Commander Gennady Padalka and NASA Flight Engineer Joe Acaba landed in a remote area outside of the town of Arkalyk, Kazakhstan, on Monday, Sept. 17, 2012. Revin, Padalka and Acaba are returning from five months onboard the International Space Station where they served as members of the Expedition 31 and 32 crews.

Expedition 32 Landing

Expedition 32 NASA Flight Engineer Joe Acaba is seen as he rests outside the Soyuz TMA-04M capsule just minutes after he and Expedition 32 Soyuz Commander Gennady Padalka and Russian Flight Engineer Sergei Revin landed in a remote area outside of the town of Arkalyk, Kazakhstan, on Monday, Sept. 17, 2012. NASA Astronaut Acaba, Russian Cosmonauts Padalka and Revin are returning from five months onboard the International Space Station where they served as members of the Expedition 31 and 32 crews.

Expedition 32 Landing

Expedition 32 Commander Gennady Padalka is seen as he rests outside the Soyuz TMA-04M capsule just minutes after he and Expedition 32 NASA Flight Engineer Joe Acaba and Russian Flight Engineer Sergei Revin landed in a remote area outside of the town of Arkalyk, Kazakhstan, on Monday, Sept. 17, 2012. Padalka, Acaba and Revin are returning from five months onboard the International Space Station where they served as members of the Expedition 31 and 32 crews.

Expedition 32 Landing

The Soyuz TMA-04M spacecraft is seen as it lands with Expedition 32 Commander Gennady Padalka of Russia, NASA Flight Engineer Joe Acaba and Russian Flight Engineer Sergei Revin in a remote area near the town of Arkalyk, Kazakhstan, on Monday, September 17, 2012. Padalka, Acaba and Revin returned from five months onboard the International Space Station where they served as members of the Expedition 31 and 32 crews.

Expedition 32 Landing

The Soyuz TMA-04M spacecraft is seen as it lands with Expedition 32 Commander Gennady Padalka of Russia, NASA Flight Engineer Joe Acaba and Russian Flight Engineer Sergie Revin in a remote area near the town of Arkalyk, Kazakhstan, on Monday, September 17, 2012. Padalka, Acaba and Revin returned from five months onboard the International Space Station where they served as members of the Expedition 31 and 32 crews.

Expedition 32 Landing: Soyuz Capsule

The Soyuz TMA-04M spacecraft that landed the Expedition 32 crew on the steppes of Kazakhstan on Sept. 16, 2012 EDT (Sept. 17 local time) is seen after being hauled upright by recovery teams.

Expedition 32 Crew Soyuz Before Landing

A Soyuiz TMA-04M space capsule floats toward Earth under its parachute, just moments before landing on the steppes of Kazakhstan to return Expedition 32 crewmembers Gennady Padalka, Sergei Revin (both of Russia) and NASA astronaut Joe Acaba to Earth on Sept. 16, 2012 EDT (Sept. 17 local time).

Expedition 32 Landing: Joe Acaba

NASA astronaut Joe Acaba smiles after returning to Earth aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft on Sept. 16, 2012 EDT on the steppes of Kazakhstan, where it was early Sept. 17 local time. Acaba landed with Russians Gennady Padalka and Sergei Revin to end the Expedition 32 mission.