The crew was composed of the South-Korean bioengineering student Yi So-yeon, an American astronaut Peggy A. Whitson and Colonel Yuri I. Malenchenko, a Russian flight engineer. The three had a hard time with the powerful G-forces during the re-entry but managed to get by.

Officials explained that the craft had a so-called ballistic re-entry, which subjected the crew to extreme physical forces due to a very steep trajectory. Apparently, the crew experienced gravitational forces which were 10 times more powerful than the ones on Earth.

According to the Associated Press, Federal Space Agency chief Anatoly Perminov said: "The most important thing is that the crew is healthy and well. The landing occurred normally, but according to a back-up plan — the descent was a ballistic trajectory."

He also said that the capsule would be examined by engineers in order for the malfunction to be discovered but put some of the blame on the crew for not informing Mission Control about their descent problems.

According to RIA Novosti, Perminov said the engineers from the Energia rocket and space corporation would examine the craft.

Meanwhile, the officials announced that all three astronauts are in good health, but they gave no additional details.

The return of Yi So-yeon was greeted by several hundreds South Koreans, who watched the landing on a giant screen at the Seoul's Olympic Park, AP noted.

Yonhap, the South Korean official news agency, reported that after a news conference held at the Kustanaj airport in Kazakhstan, the three astronauts were flown to the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center outside Moscow, where they would undergo more detailed medical checks.

The South Korean government has made a $20 million deal with Russia to co-sponsor the flight and ensure Yi’s participation on the trip. She has now become the first Korean to reach space.

South Korea has become the 36th country to send a person into space, and this is just the first step of a more ambitious plan Seoul has for the next 20 years, as they are planning a moon land by 2025, according to their own estimations.