Cash row eclipses Soyuz pod's return

The crew of the international space station returned to Earth yesterday, landing near the Aral sea in Kazakhstan - almost 300 miles south-west of their target.

Their return rounded off one of the most fraught periods in the project's history as Sean O'Keefe, Nasa's chief, arrived in Moscow to resolve a funding row with Russia that threatens the station's future.

Kenneth Bowersox and Donald Pettit from the United States and Nikolai Budarin from Russia flew back in a Russian Soyuz capsule. They set Moscow mission control's nerves on edge by missing their target, prompting a two-hour search by helicopters.

In the Kazakh capital, Astana, Mr Bowersox told officials he was fine, while Mr Pettit seemed queasy and had trouble walking.

The crew spent double the scheduled three months in the space station after the US banned shuttle flights following the fatal Columbia crash on February 1. Yesterday's return was the first time US astronauts had landed in a foreign craft on foreign soil. It was prompted by an American appeal for Russian assistance.

Mr O'Keefe said at mission control in Moscow: "At the time when we needed them most, Russia, our partners, have excelled.

"Today's success story is that the international space station goes on because of [the Russians'] commitment."

The bonhomie could not conceal the acrimony of a funding dispute that has threatened to mothball the station. Mr O'Keefe was primarily in Moscow to meet Yuri Koptev, the head of the Russian space agency, Rosaviakosmos, to try to bridge their differences after a meeting last month ended in deadlock.

Nasa's flight ban hit the space station's routine supply flights. Russia was asked to make up the deficit. But Moscow said it could not afford extra flights and requested compensation.

Congress refused to pay, citing an obscure law that prevents financial help for nations aiding "nuclear proliferation".

Washington accuses Russia of assisting Iran's nuclear weapons programme.

Last month, Russian officials said the deadlock could result in the space station going unmanned on autopilot for six months of the year by January.

Yesterday, Mr O'Keefe was optimistic that the US shuttle programme would be running again by the end of this year.