A Soyuz space capsule carrying a Russian, an American and a Japanese docked smoothly Thursday with the International Space Station.
In the above photo, U.S. astronaut Kjell Lindgen, a crew member of the next mission to the International Space Station, prepares for testing a space suit prior the launch of Soyuz-FG booster rocket with the space capsule Soyuz TMA-14M at the Russian leased Baikonur Cosmodrome, in Kazakhstan, Wednesday, July 22, 2015.
The capsule connected to the orbiting laboratory about 250 miles (400 kilometers) above Earth at 0245 GMT.
In the above photo, Japan astronaut Kimiya Yui, a crew member of the next mission to the International Space Station, gestures before testing a space suit prior to the launch of Soyuz-FG booster rocket.
The rocket had lifted off from a Russian manned launch facility in Kazakhstan about 5 hours and 45 minutes earlier at 2102 GMT Wednesday. The rocket reached orbit about 15 minutes after launch and circled the Earth four times before heading for the space station.
In the above photo, Russian Space Agency experts test a space suit of U.S. astronaut Kjell Lindgen.
They join Gennady Padalka, Mikhail Kornienko and Scott Kelly. The latter two are more than four months into a nearly year-long mission on the space station.
The launch was postponed by about two months after the April failure of an unmanned Russian cargo ship, which raised concerns about Russian rocketry. Another Russian cargo ship was successfully launched in early July.
From left (above photo): U.S. astronaut Kjell Lindgen, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko and Japan astronaut Kimiya Yui, crew members of the next mission to the International Space Station, walk to report for Russian state commission prior to launch.
Russian Space Agency experts test a space suit of Japan astronaut Kimiya Yui.
Japan astronaut Kimiya Yui, top, U.S. astronaut Kjell Lindgen, center, and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko, crew members of the next mission to the International Space Station, wave before boarding their Soyuz TMA-17M rocket.
U.S. astronaut Kjell Lindgen walks before boarding their Soyuz TMA-17M rocket, few hours before their launch to the International Space Station (ISS).
Russian Space Agency experts test a space suit of Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko.
Officials, friends and families of U.S. astronaut Kjell Lindgen, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko and Japan astronaut Kimiya Yui, wait for crew's report for Russian state commission prior to the launch of Soyuz-FG booster rocket with the space capsule Soyuz TMA-14M.
All six Expedition 44 crew members gathered inside the Zvezda service module for a crew greeting ceremony with new crewmates (front row from left) Kimiya Yui, Oleg Kononenko and Kjell Lindgren. In the back from left are Mikhail Kornienko, Gennady Padalka and Scott Kelly.
