The Soyuz TMA-13 has docked flawlessly with the International Space Station ahead of schedule, at 4:26 a.m., bringing a new crew to the orbiting outpost.The spacecraft's docking probe is being retracted as latches hard mate it to the station's Zarya module.
A post-docking news conference in Russia is scheduled within 30 minutes. Hatches are scheduled to be opened in a little over an hour.
Arriving at the station are American astronaut Michael Finke and Russian cosmonaut Yury Lonchakov, two members of Expedition 18.
With them is space tourist Richard Garriott, the son of former NASA astronaut Owen Garriott.
Garriott will return to Earth on Oct. 23 with Expedition 17 members Sergei Volkov and Oleg Kononenko, riding the Soyuz TMA-12 on which they arrived at the station in April.
The diagram above shows where the two Soyuz vehicles are docked.
Finke and Lonchakov will remain on station with American astronaut Greg Chamitoff until next month. Then, astronaut Susan Magnus will replace Chamitoff when shuttle Endeavour launches to the station with supplies and gear that will help it support a six-person crew.
Endeavour's launch is targeted for Nov. 14.
Continue watching live NASA TV coverage of Expedition 18's arrival by clicking on the NASA TV viewer to the right of the screen.
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