Soyuz spacecraft docks at space station

Russia’s first modernized Soyuz TMA-M spacecraft, which successfully blasted off from Baikonur cosmodrome on Friday, has delivered a new Russian-American crew to the International Space Station.

The spacecraft docked at the ISS early on Sunday. Its three members – NASA astronaut Scott Kelly and cosmonauts Alexander Kaleri and Oleg Skripochka – entered the station at 7 am Moscow time, where they will spend the next six months as members of Expedition 25.

According to Mr. Kaleri, the Russian share of the research to be conducted at the ISS includes more than 40 experiments in medicine, biology, physics and space technology, RIA Novosti news agency reported.

TMA-M is the newest Soyuz spacecraft, featuring new in-flight measurement systems, as well as guidance, navigation and control equipment. It departed from the Baikonur cosmodrome early on Friday and is scheduled to return March 16.