BAIKONUR, Kazakhstan -- Astronaut Chris Hadfield returned to Earth Monday night after a five-month mission at the International Space Station that saw him become the first Canadian to command the orbiting laboratory.
The 53-year-old touched down in Kazakhstan on a Russian Soyuz capsule which was also carrying Russian cosmonaut Roman Romanenko and NASA astronaut Tom Marshburn -- the same pair Hadfield blasted off with on Dec. 19, 2012.
The journey was Hadfield's first return space flight inside the cramped Russian space capsule. The craft tore into the atmosphere before a parachute opened, slowing its descent until it hit the ground at 10:31 p.m. ET.
Rescue teams moved quickly to help the crew in their bulky spacesuits get out through the narrow exit hatch of the capsule. They were then put into reclining chairs to start adjusting to Earth's gravity.
Former Canadian astronaut Bob Thirsk, who spent six-months on the space station in 2009, described Hadfield's return to Earth inside the Soyuz capsule as "a really dynamic event."
Thirsk, who watched the landing at the Canadian Space Agency near Montreal, said "the real icing on the cake is the landing."
"Sure it's bumpy, sure it's a little bit dynamic, sure you get tossed around," he told reporters. "But you can bet Chris and his two crewmates were laughing all the way down -- they were having a good time."
The former astronaut joined about 200 people who cheered and applauded when the Russian capsule landed. They cheered again when Hadfield was lifted out of the capsule. His space audience included CSA employees and their families.
While Hadfield was best known for his tweets and photos, rookie Canadian astronaut David Saint-Jacques pointed out that the 53-year-old space veteran and his fellow astronauts also set a record for the amount of time spent on research on the orbiting space laboratory.
"In terms of science achievements, it's just been a stellar mission," Saint-Jacques added.
He said the research involved "a lot of Canadian science" with most of it dealing with medical science and "remote control health care."
The three astronauts smiled as they chatted with space agency officials and doctors who were checking their condition. Hadfield, who served as the space station's commander, gave a thumbs-up sign. They then made quick phone calls to family members and friends.
NASA spokesman Josh Byerly said by telephone from the landing site that the three returning astronauts were doing very well.
During his stay in space, Hadfield became a bit of an extraplanetary media star. He tweeted photos, talked to schoolchildren, strummed his guitar and provided videos about daily life on the station.
He bid a dramatic farewell on Sunday with his own, revised version of David Bowie's "Space Oddity," recorded at the space station and posted to YouTube.
It's believed to be the first music video made in space, according to NASA.
Many commended Hadfield on his engagement with the public from space as he made his way back to Earth.
In a statement issued after Hadfield returned to Earth, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said the astronaut has done an "absolutely remarkable job as the first Canadian commander of the International Space Station."
"His highly effective use of social media has brought the miracle of space travel home to Canadians and to the entire world," said Harper.
The prime minister also noted that Hadfield's "tireless and unique efforts" to educate Canada and the world about space "are nothing short of inspirational."
Harper had earlier tweeted: "Thanking (Hadfield) for his inspiring contribution to discovery and for making all Canadians proud."
The BBC's science editor called Hadfield "the most famous astronaut since Neil Armstrong and Yuri Gagarin," who had done more than anyone to raise the profile of the space station.
One Brazilian news organization dubbed him the "pop astronaut."
Meanwhile, Canada's most famous fictional astronaut, William Shatner, tweeted: "I have 2 words for him: 'SHOW OFF!' I'd even look good floating there singing!"
While Hadfield may be best remembered for his photography and music from space, his main task throughout the mission was performing more than 100 science experiments, such as examining changes to the spine, bone density, and nutrition in space.
This visit to the space station was Hadfield's third space journey.
The engineer and former test pilot from Milton, Ont., made his first trip to space in November 1995 when he visited the old Russian Space Station Mir.
His second voyage was to the International Space Station in April 2001, when he also performed two space walks.
The latest trip is, in a sense, the end of an era for the Canadian space program. With Hadfield's return, it will now be at least three years before the next Canadian astronaut visits the space station.
Gilles Leclerc, the interim head of the Canadian Space Agency, has said there probably won't be another Canadian visit to the space station before 2016.
That trip would go to one of Canada's two new astronauts: Saint-Jacques or Jeremy Hansen.
The station will be kept in operation until at least 2020.
In the meantime, the future of the entire Canadian space program is on hold as the Harper government reviews the recommendations of a report on the space sector.
Former cabinet minister David Emerson, who headed the review, was blunt when he issued his report last November. He said the Canadian space program had "foundered" over the last decade.
Jm Quick, the president of the Aerospace Industries Association of Canada, admits the space industry is going through a quiet period, but he is optimistic about the future.
"I think we've gone through a period of time where we could be doing more than we have been," he said in at interview at the Canadian Space Agency.
But Quick predicted that "some really good things are going to happen for the CSA and the space industry."
The space agency also has been without a president since Steve MacLean quit earlier this year and his replacement is yet to be found.
"Government is aggressively seeking new leadership at the CSA and I understand that's ongoing," Quick said. "We'll have a new path to follow going forward as we move past the Chris Hadfield era."
One industry insider said he expected a replacement for MacLean to be named in August or September
