Japanese space tourists return to Earth after 12 days on ISS

Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa returned to Earth after 12 days on the ISS, marking Russia's return to space tourism to raise funds for its space agency. — REUTERS/File Photo

A Japanese billionaire was to return to Earth Monday after spending 12 days on the International Space Station, where he made videos about performing mundane tasks in space including brushing teeth and going to the bathroom.

Online fashion tycoon Yusaku Maezawa and his assistant Yozo Hirano, who will be shepherded home by Russian cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin, are set to parachute onto Kazakhstan's steppe at 0313 GMT Monday.