Japanese billionaire Maezawa returns to Earth after 12-day space tour; see pics

Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa safely returned to the Earth after spending 12 days in space. Maezawa was accompanied by his producer Yozo Hirano and a Russian cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin in this voyage which he considered as a dry run for his planned trip around the moon with Elon Musk's SpaceX in 2023.

Japanese billionaire Maezawa returns to Earth after 12-day space tour; see pics

A Japanese billionaire, his producer and a Russian cosmonaut departed from the International Space Station and headed back to Earth, wrapping up the first visit by self-paying space tourists to the orbiting outpost in more than a decade. Credit: Reuters Photo

Maezawa was accompanied by his producer Yozo Hirano and a Russian cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin in this voyage which he considered as a dry run for his planned trip around the moon with Elon Musk's SpaceX in 2023. Credit: AFP Photo

Asked about reports claiming that he paid over $80 million for the 12-day mission, Maezawa said he couldn't disclose the contract sum but admitted that he paid “pretty much” that amount. Credit: Reuters Photo

Low clouds prevented the deployment of search-and-rescue helicopters to the area, so rescue teams reached the landing site in all-terrain vehicles to assist the crew and conduct medical check-ups. They reported that the trio was feeling fine. Credit: Reuters Photo

Space flight participant Japanese entrepreneur Yusaku Maezawa is seen inside the Soyuz MS-20 space capsule shortly after landing in a remote area outside Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan. Credit: Reuters Photo

A Soyuz MS-20 space craft is seen on a monitor after undocking from the International Space Station (ISS), starting the landing of the International space crew including Japanese space tourists Yusaku Maezawa and his assistant Yozo Hirano, and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin, at Mission Control Center in Korolyov, outside Moscow. Credit: AFP Photo

A screen shows Russian cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin shortly after the landing of the Soyuz MS-20 capsule in a remote area outside Zhezkazgan in the Karaganda region of Kazakhstan, at Mission Control Center in Korolyov, Moscow. Credit: AFP Photo

Specialists watch live broadcast of the landing of the Soyuz MS-20 space capsule at the airport of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan. Credit: Reuters Photo

The image of the members of TPK Soyuz MS-20 crew, (from top) Russian cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin, Japanese space tourists Yusaku Maezawa and Yozo Hirano, is seen on a monitor in the Mission Control Center in Korolyov, outside Moscow. Credit: AFP Photo