A CAPSULE CARRYING BRAZIL'S FIRST ASTRONAUT, ALONG WITH A RUSSIAN AND AN AMERICAN, LANDED SAFELY IN THE FREEZING KAZAKH STEPPE EARLY SUNDAY AFTER SEPARATING FROM THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION AND HURTLING THROUGH THE EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE. AMERICAN ASTRONAUT BILL MCARTHUR, RUSSIAN COSMONAUT VALERY TOKAREV AND BRAZILIAN MARCOS PONTES TOUCHED DOWN ON TARGET AND ON SCHEDULE, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS REPORTED. THE TMA-7 LANDED ON ITS BOTTOM ABOUT 30 MILES NORTHEAST OF ARKALYK AFTER WHAT MISSION CONTROL OFFICIALS CALLED A FLAWLESS FLIGHT. OFFICIALS AT RUSSIA'S MISSION CONTROL IN KOROLYOV, OUTSIDE MOSCOW, REPORTED THAT THE CAPSULE HAD BEEN IN RADIO CONTACT FOR MUCH OF THE BONE-JARRING, 3 1/2-HOUR JOURNEY AND THAT ALL THREE CREW MEMBERS WERE FEELING WELL. GROUND CREWS REACHED THE CAPSULE IN NORTHERN KAZAKHSTAN, WHERE TEMPERATURES HOVERED AROUND 13 DEGREES BELOW ZERO, WITHIN MINUTES OF THE LANDING.
