CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — The International Space Station has three new residents, doubling its crew size.
An American, Russian and Japanese arrived at the orbiting lab Tuesday, two days after launching from Kazakhstan. They received special greetings from America's new ambassador to Russia. Ambassador Jon Huntsman gathered with the astronauts' families at Mission Control outside Moscow to watch the new crew's entrance.
Huntsman told newly arrived NASA astronaut Scott Tingle that he got a tear in his eye, as he watched Tingle's family when the hatches opened. Huntsman said it was "the most special thing" being there and feeling all the emotion.
Tingle flew up in a Soyuz capsule with Russia's Anton Shkaplerov (SKAP-ler-ov) and Japan's Norishige Kanai (Nor-ih-SHEE-gay Kuh-NIE.
The space station is now back to a full crew of six.