A Russian spacecraft docked with the International Space Station at 4:35 a.m., safely delivering an astronaut, cosmonaut and circus entrepreneur who launched from Kazakhstan two days ago."Contact confirmed," a Russian translator reported someone saying as the Soyuz TMA-16 connected with the outpost's Zvezda service module, as the spacecraft flew above Kazakhstan.
"We arrived," one of the astronauts said in English. "Congratulations, guys," radioed station commander Gennady Padalka.
Hatches were scheduled to open about two hours later, allowing American Jeff Williams, Russian Maxim Suraev and Canadian Guy Laliberte, the founder of Cirque du Soleil, to enter the station and join the six residents on board.
Already on station with Padalka were Belgian Frank De Winne, Americans Michael Barratt and Nicole Stott, Canadian Bob Thirsk and Russian Roman Romanenko. Williams and Suraev will become flight engineers on the station's Expedition 21 crew, which will be inaugurated after Laliberte's departure in nine days with Padalka and Barratt.
Padalka is the commander of the current Expedition 20 crew.
Suraev was ready to take control of the Soyuz for a manual docking if the Kurs automated system failed, but there were no problems. The docking marked the first time three Soyuz were moored at the station (see diagram at left).
Also linked to the station is the Japanese HTV cargo vehicle, which made its maiden voyage last month.
A welcome ceremony after the hatches open will be broadcast on NASA TV around 7:15 a.m. You can watch it live here by clicking on the NASA TV still image at right to launch a viewer.
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