German astronaut returns to Earth

German astronaut Matthias Maurer returned to Cologne early Saturday, capping a journey home to Earth after almost six months in space on the International Space Station (ISS), reported dpa.

He left a Luftwaffe plane in the military section of Cologne/Bonn Airport at 12:40am (2340 GMT).

"I'm very happy," Maurer said after his arrival. The 52-year-old said that he is still a bit shaky on his feet, but otherwise feels fine.

Maurer was greeted by family, friends and well wishers including Hendrik Wüst, the premier of North-Rhine Westphalia state.

A SpaceX capsule carrying Maurer and three US astronauts splashed down off the coast of Florida in the early hours of Friday.

NASA's Raja Chari, Tom Marshburn and Kayla Barron and Maurer, of the European Space Agency, arrived back on Earth about 24 hours after undocking from the ISS.

Maurer is only the twelfth German to have been to space and his trip has been closely followed in the country since the blast-off on November 11 at Cape Canaveral, Florida.

One back on terra firma, the 52-year-old didn't waste any time, boarding a plane to Germany not long after the capsule splashdown.

In the next two weeks, Maurer will be looked after around the clock by a specialized team at the German Aerospace Cente (DLR) in Cologne.

According to a spokeswoman, he will undergo a series of medical tests at the DLR Institute of Aerospace Medicine, which will focus on balance, fitness and performance.