NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Image above: The six-member Expedition 25 crew speaks to well-wishers and mission officials shortly after hatch opening. Photo credit: NASA TV

After a two-day journey three new Expedition 25 crew members arrived at the International Space Station and docked to the Poisk module Saturday, Oct. 9 at 8:01 p.m. EDT. Flight Engineers Scott Kelly, Alexander Kaleri and Oleg Skripochka launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan in the Soyuz TMA-01M spacecraft on Thursday at 7:10 p.m. They begin a 5-1/2 month stay that will see a landing in March 2011 back in Kazakhstan.

› View Soyuz TMA-01M docking video

Expedition 25 Commander Doug Wheelock and Flight Engineers Shannon Walker and Fyodor Yurchikhin have been aboard the station since June. They greeted their new crewmates at hatch opening which occurred at 11:09 p.m. After a quick greeting ceremony the new station crew members received the standard safety briefing.

Expedition 25 will end its stay aboard the orbiting laboratory in November. Expedition 26 will officially begin when Wheelock, Walker and Yurchikhin undock from the station in the Soyuz TMA-19. Kelly will stay behind with Kaleri and Skripochka. Kelly will assume command of the space station as Expedition 26 commander.