Moscow, and all the world, was tense as the communications blacked out during reentry. Would Soyuz 10L survive? All of those fears were tabled, however, when the parachute deployed over the steppes of Kazakhstan, and Leonov radioed, "Hello, Moscow, this is Soyuz 10L, it's good to see you again."

The USSR erupted into cheers as the capsule slowly drifted towards the ground. When it did hit the ground, Leonov and Popovich had a bit of a rough landing, but they survived. Recovery crews were soon coming, and the mission was complete. The Soviet Union had won the race to the Moon.