KOROLYOV (Moscow region). April 3 (Interfax-AVN) - Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Tyurin and NASA astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria, completing their half-a-year stay at the ISS, have embarked on preparations for the return to the Earth, head of the Mission Control Center press-service Valery Lyndin told Interfax-AVN on Tuesday.
"Astonauts have started special training, which will allow them to survive the return to the Earth without any painful consequences, especially when they experience gravity after half a year in zero-gravity conditions," Lyndin said.
He noted that the Russian cosmonaut used the Chibis pneumatic suit for training. The suit pumps blood from the upper body to legs. "Thus, it simulates Earth conditions and the force of gravity, allowing an astronaut to get used to gravity gradually," Lyndin said.
He noted that the Soyuz TMA-9, expected to take Tyurin and Lopez-Alegria back to the Earth, was to land at 5.35 p.m. Moscow time (1335 hours GMT) on April 20.