Source: Xinhua

03-13-2009 10:03

Special Report:   Tech Max

WASHINGTON, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Astronauts returned to the International Space Station on Thursday after taking refuge in Soyuz capsule in case of a collision with a flying debris cloud, NASA said.

International Space Station (ISS) Commander Mike Fincke (L) and Flight Engineer Yury Lonchakov work outside the Russian segment of the station during their spacewalk from the orbiting laboratory in this March 10, 2009 image from NASA TV. Dressed in Russian spacesuits, Fincke and Lonchakov floated outside the orbiting outpost for six hours of work, including setting up a European materials science experiment, before the shuttle Discovery's scheduled arrival on Friday. (Xinhua/Reuters, File Photo)

International Space Station (ISS) Commander Mike Fincke (L)
and Flight Engineer Yury Lonchakov work outside the Russian
segment of the station during their spacewalk from the orbiting
laboratory in this March 10, 2009 image from NASA TV. Dressed
in Russian spacesuits, Fincke and Lonchakov floated outside 
the orbiting outpost for six hours of work, including setting 
up a European materials science experiment, before the shuttle
Discovery's scheduled arrival on Friday. (Xinhua/Reuters, File
Photo)

"The debris threat to the International Space Station has passed," NASA said in a statement posted on its website.

The International Space Station Expedition 18 crew members returned the station to normal operations after being notified of the all clear at 12:45 p.m. EDT (1645 GMT). They took refuge for 11 minutes in the Soyuz escape capsule.