The price of space

TWO Nasa astronauts safely back on Earth after an unexpected nine-month stint on the International Space Station face an arduous road to recovery.

- BY CHRISTOPHER BUCKTIN

Butch Wilmore, 62, and Suni Williams, 59, were taken from their capsule for urgent medical evaluation following their 17-hour journey.

The pair now face weeks of grappling with the punishing effects of prolonged weightlessness.

Senior Nasa administrator Joel Montalbano described the landing as "beautiful" and said their 150 experiments and 900 hours of research will inform future moon missions.

Nasa manager Steve Stich said:

"The crew is doing great. Eventually they will make their way back to Houston." He added the pair will get some "well-deserved time off" with their families after debriefing.