steppe
星出さん、お帰りなさい！
復習ですが、steppeは「樹木の生えていない広大な草原」を指し、the Steppesで、「ステップ地帯、南ロシア・中央アジアの大草原」を意味しましたね。（EnDough）
Astronaut Hoshide returns to Earth
Three crewmembers of the International Space Station, including a Japanese astronaut, have returned to Earth. Akihiko Hoshide, along with astronauts from the US and Russia, landed in a Soyuz spacecraft on the steppe of Kazakhstan in Central Asia at around 1:56 UTC on Monday. After reentering the earth's atmosphere, the Russian space vehicle deployed a parachute to slow its descent for landing.
The spacecraft left the ISS at 22:30 UTC on Sunday. The three astronauts appeared to be in good shape as they emerged from the spacecraft. After a physical checkup, they will be taken by helicopter to an airport in northern Kazakhstan. During his four-month stay aboard the space station, Hoshide was involved in docking the Konotori-3, Japan's cargo transporter. He also released into orbit micro-satellites developed by Japanese universities and businesses.
The astronaut performed three spacewalks outside the station, for a total of 21 hours and 23 minutes -- the longest for a Japanese astronaut. Astronaut Hoshide spoke to NHK and other media on after leaving the Soyuz spacecraft. He said that he will miss the International Space Station because he had fun during his stay there. Hoshide, seated in a chair and covered with a blanket, said he is in good health. He added that it is cold here on Earth. Asked about what he most wants to do now, he said he would like to get some rest and readjust his body to gravity.
