Soyuz capsule carrying 3-man crew docks with International Space Station

ALMATY, Kazakhstan – A Soyuz capsule packed with three astronauts has successfully docked with the International Space Station, taking the size of the full crew at the orbiting laboratory to six.

American Tom Marshburn, Russian Roman Romanenko and Canadian Chris Hadfield travelled two days in the capsule before linking up with the space station’s Russian Rassvet research module.

The docking took place around 255 miles (410 kilometres) above the capital of Kazakhstan.

The incoming crew will spend five months in space before returning to earth.

Their mission began with a launch from the Russian-leased Baikonur space port in southern Kazakhstan.

Hadfield will take over as the space station’s first ever Canadian commander in its fourteen year history when the crew now onboard prepares to leave in March.

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