(Image source from: Spacecraft achieved landing at orbiting Space Station)

United States Michael Hopkins as well as Russians Oleg Kotov and Sergei Ryazansky travelled six hours in the capsule from the Russian-leased launch pad in Kazakhstan in precedence of linking up with the space station's Russian Poisk research module at 6.45am Moscow time.  While Kotov is the most experienced member of the crew accompanying two six-month missions in space under his belt on the other hand Hopkins and Ryazansky are both on their first missions.

To move further, the incoming crew travelled into the station near about two hours afterward where they were welcomed by Russia's Fyodor Yurchikhin, NASA's Karen Nyberg and Italy's Luca Parmitano who has been on the orbiting lab since May and will be returning to Earth in November.

(AW:SB)