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Soyuz and three-man crew arrives at the space station BY WILLIAM HARWOOD STORY WRITTEN FOR CBS NEWS "SPACE PLACE" & USED WITH PERMISSION Posted: October 2, 2009 
The Soyuz TMA-16 spacecraft carrying cosmonaut Maxim Suraev, NASA flight engineer Jeffrey Williams and Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberte maneuvered to a smooth docking with the International Space Station early Friday to close out a two-day orbital chase. With Suraev and Williams closely monitoring the final stages of the automated rendezvous, the small capsule's docking mechanism engaged its counterpart at the aft port of the Zvezda command module at 4:35 a.m. EDT as the two spacecraft sailed high above northeast Kazakhstan. Hooks and latches then engaged to pull the Soyuz firmly into place. "We're here, we arrived," Williams could be heard saying. "Congratulations, guys," someone in mission control near Moscow radioed. It will take about two orbits to secure the spacecraft and complete extensive leak checks before hatches are opened, allowing Suraev, Williams and space tourist Laliberte to enter the space station. They will be welcomed aboard by outgoing commander Gennady Padalka, NASA flight engineer Michael Barratt, cosmonaut Roman Romanenko, European Space Agency astronaut Frank De Winne, Canadian astronaut Robert Thirsk and NASA astronaut Nicole Stott. Suraev and Williams are replacing Padalka and Barratt, who plan to return to Earth with Laliberte on Oct. 11. De Winne will take over as Europe's first commander in Padalka's place.
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VIDEO:
DOCKING BRIEFING WITH U.S. AND RUSSIAN OFFICIALS 