Welcome aboard! The newest residents have floated into the International Space Station from their Soyuz capsule for the formal ceremony. Also participating via a live communications linkup are the VIPs gathered back at Baikonur still.

The hatchway between the Soyuz spacecraft and the station was opened at 12:34 a.m. EDT (0434 GMT).

The outpost's Expedition 37 crew is comprised of three Russians, two Americans and a European astronaut. The outpost is back to the full 6-person-strong operating team.

The docking probe on the front of Soyuz has retracted, allowing the hooks and latches to close and form a seal between the capsule and station. Pressure and leak checks will be performed over the next orbit before the hatchway is opened for the crew to enter into the station in a couple of hours.

The docking occurred as the two spacecraft flew above the Pacific, off the coast of Peru at an altitude of 261 miles, just 5 hours and 47 minutes since liftoff, completing the Soyuz's third speedy sprint from launch to docking in the International Space Station program.

Over the next few minutes, the Soyuz docking probe will retract to allow hooks and latches to bring the spacecraft to a firm seal with the station. Hatches between the two vehicles will be opened around 12:25 a.m. EDT.

DOCKING! The Soyuz TMA-10M spacecraft has docked to the Poisk module of the space station, delivering Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kotov, flight engineer Sergey Ryazanskiy and NASA astronaut Michael Hopkins to the international outpost for their 168-day mission.

The capsule remains on course and lined up for docking. A steady, stable approach using Soyuz's automated rendezvous system continues.

Range is now 49 feet.

Just 65 feet to go. Soyuz commander Oleg Kotov reports the Soyuz is in good alignment with the Poisk module.

Soyuz is now about 150 feet from the Poisk docking module and closing at 0.4 mph. The station and Soyuz have passed into orbital sunset over the South Pacific.

Inside 300 feet and closing.

The Russian flight control team has given approval for the final approach to commence.

The Soyuz completed the flyaround to align with the docking port. It's now in the stationkeeping hold about while controllers verify all is in readiness for final approach.

The Soyuz headlight is being readied since the docking is scheduled to occur during a night pass.

The capsule is completing a roll maneuver as part of the sequence to orient itself and solar wings for docking.

The flyaround has begun. Soyuz is flying itself around the international outpost to get into the approach corridor leading to the Poisk module's space-facing docking port.

Range is now approximately 1,400 feet as the Soyuz slows its closing rate.

Range between the space station and Soyuz is now less than 7,000 feet.

The Soyuz TMA-10M capsule is beginning a series of three impulse burns to slow its approach to the space station, setting up for the start of a flyaround maneuver to align with the Poisk docking module at 10:24 p.m. EDT (0224 GMT)

Range between the Soyuz TMA-10M spacecraft and the space station is now about 15 kilometers, or 9 miles.

The Soyuz is now in its automated rendezvous sequence, and the Kurs rendezvous radar system has been activated and is providing good data to the spacecraft's guidance computer.

The International Space Station has also maneuvered into its docking attitude.

The Soyuz spacecraft is nearing the space station for the final phase of rendezvous and docking. You can watch live NASA Television coverage right here on this page.

The Soyuz spacecraft is on track to arrive at the International Space Station in a few hours after a successful launch from Kazakhstan.

The 7.9-ton capsule launched at 4:58:50 p.m. EDT (2058:50 GMT), the precise moment when the Earth's rotation brought the Baikonur pad into alignment with the International Space Station's orbital plane, riding its three-stage booster into a preliminary orbit.

The spacecraft was programmed to conduct four rocket firings in the first two-and-a-half hours of flight, leading to the start of the Soyuz automated rendezvous sequence at 8:39 p.m. EDT (0039 GMT) to control the Russian-built vehicle's approach via autopilot.

The crew transport's Kurs rendezvous radar system will be activated at 9:11 p.m. EDT (0111 GMT), and the radar's corresponding receiver on the space station will be switched on two minutes later.

The range between the space station and Soyuz will fall below 50 miles at 9:37 p.m. EDT (0137 GMT), closing to less than 10 miles by 9:58 p.m. EDT (0158 GMT).

The television camera on the nose of Soyuz will be turned on at 10:06 p.m. EDT (0206 GMT) to provide views of docking.

A series of burns between 10:13 p.m. and 10:21 p.m. EDT (0213 and 0221 GMT) will slow the craft's approach, leading to the start of a flyaround maneuver at 10:24 p.m. EDT (0224 GMT) to align with the space station's Poisk docking module.

After a stationkeeping hold by the Soyuz to ensure all is in readiness for docking, the spacecraft will commence final approach at 10:37 p.m. EDT (0237 GMT) for docking about 11 minutes later. Soyuz commander Oleg Kotov will be standing by to take over manual flying of the spacecraft if required.

The linkup should occur at 10:48 p.m. EDT (0248 GMT), just after an orbital sunset, and a mere 5 hours and 50 minutes after liftoff.

Watch this page for live updates and streaming video starting at 10 p.m. EDT (0200 GMT).

Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kotov, flight engineer Sergey Ryazanskiy and NASA astronaut Michael Hopkins have arrived in orbit following a good launch aboard the Soyuz TMA-10M spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome.

The craft is completing a programmed sequence to deploy the power-generating solar arrays, as well as antennas for navigational and communication systems.

T+plus 9 minutes. CAPSULE SEPARATION! The Soyuz spacecraft is flying free after the upper stage finished its engine firing and then separated away. The capsule is in pursuit of the International Space Station for a planned docking at 10:48 p.m. EDT (0248 GMT) tonight.

T+plus 8 minutes. About a minute remains in the propulsion by the upper stage. The motor consumes kerosene and liquid oxygen just like the Soyuz rocket's other powerplants.

T+plus 7 minutes. The four-nozzle engine of the upper stage continues to burn to put the spacecraft into orbit.

T+plus 6 minutes. Soyuz's upper stage is firing to propel the spacecraft into a stable orbital perch around Earth on the six-hour, four-orbit trek to catch the International Space Station.

T+plus 5 minutes. The core stage of the Soyuz rocket has shut down and separated, leaving the upper stage to complete the job of injecting the Soyuz capsule into orbit.

T+plus 4 minutes. The core motor continues to fire on its propellant mixture of kerosene fuel and supercold liquid oxygen.

T+plus 3 minutes. The safety escape tower and launch shroud have been jettisoned from the atop the Soyuz capsule.

T+plus 2 minutes, 10 seconds. The four strap-on boosters clustered around the Soyuz rocket's main stage have burned out and separated. The core engine continues to fire as Soyuz streaks into space at more than 3,000 mph.

T+plus 60 seconds. Good performance one minute into this ascent for the Soyuz rocket and its three-person crew from the Kazakh launch base. Rookie Russian flight engineer Sergey Ryazanskiy is strapped into the left-hand seat serving as co-pilot, veteran cosmonaut Oleg Kotov is in the center seat for his role as the Soyuz commander and NASA astronaut Michael Hopkins is riding in the right-hand seat.

T+plus 20 seconds. The Soyuz rocket has maneuvered on course for a rendezvous with the space station less than six hours from now. The station currently is flying 262 miles over Kazakhstan.

LIFTOFF! Liftoff of the Expedition 37 crew en route to the International Space Station for docking tonight!

T-minus 40 seconds. The first umbilical arm has separated from Soyuz. The second will retract in the next few seconds.

T-minus 1 minute and counting. The Soyuz has been placed on internal power.

T-minus 2 minutes and counting. Rocket propellant tank pressurization is underway. The vehicle's onboard measurement system is activated. Oxidizer and fuel drain and safety valves of the launch vehicle have been closed.

T-minus 4 minutes and counting. The nitrogen purge of the combustion chambers of side and central engine pods of the rocket is being performed in preparation for ignition.

T-minus 5 minutes and counting. Soyuz has switched to onboard control, the ground measurement system and the capsule commander's controls are being activated.

T-minus 6 minutes. The automatic program for final launch operations is being initiated. And the launch key has been inserted in the bunker for liftoff.

See our Facebook page for images of the countdown and launch!

T-minus 9 minutes and counting. The crew has closed its helmet visors.

T-minus 10 minutes. The crew inside the Soyuz capsule are starting recorders to collect data during launch.

T-minus 14 minutes and counting. The Soyuz telemetry systems are being activated. They will relay real-time data back to Earth during today's launch.

T-minus 17 minutes. Now in the launch count, realignment of the Soyuz rocket's trajectory control system and checks of internal batteries should be complete. The Soyuz telemetry system will soon be activated and monitoring of Soyuz's thermal control system also will begin.

T-minus 20 minutes and counting. The three-stage Soyuz rocket will insert the 15,700-pound space capsule into a 143 by 118 mile orbit, inclined 51.6 degrees to the equator, according to NASA.

T-minus 24 minutes. The crew is completing leak checks of the Sokol launch spacesuits at this point in the countdown.

T-minus 27 minutes and counting. The emergency escape system is being armed. The system would be employed if a major malfunction occurs, propelling the Soyuz capsule off the top of the rocket to safety.

T-minus 30 minutes and counting. At the time of launch, the International Space Station will be flying 262 miles over northeast Kazakhstan. When the Soyuz TMA-10M spacecraft deploys from the Soyuz rocket's third stage, the space station will be flying 1,926 miles ahead of the Soyuz.

The capsule will close that distance over the next six hours, with docking to the space station's Poisk module scheduled for 10:48 p.m. EDT (0248 GMT).

T-minus 40 minutes and counting. The two-piece service structure which enclosed the Soyuz rocket has been retracted to a horizontal position. The towers protected the rocket and provided workers and the Soyuz crew with access to the spacecraft since the rocket arrived at the launch pad Monday.

Several other umbilical arms connecting the rocket to the ground will be retracted at various times later in the countdown.

T-minus 55 minutes and counting. Soyuz TMA-10M commander Oleg Kotov, rookie cosmonaut Sergey Ryazanskiy and NASA astronaut Michael Hopkins were awakened about eight hours ago to begin launch day activities.

They signed the doors at crew quarters and received religious blessings before boarding a bus that took the three crewmates the 25-mile distance into the cosmodrome. They donned their white Sokol launch and entry suits, met with officials from their respective space agencies and then headed for the pad. Crowds of well-wishers gathered to wave goodbye as the crew reached the rocket. An elevator took the trio up to the capsule-level of the tower to begin climbing aboard the cramped spacecraft.

T-minus 58 minutes. Live streaming video coverage of today's rocket flight to orbit begins now.

T-minus 90 minutes. The Soyuz rocket is fueled, the crew has traveled to the launch pad and the countdown is progressing toward liftoff of the space station's Expedition 36 crew from the Baikonur Cosmodrome at 4:58 p.m. EDT (2058 GMT).

Live launch coverage and commentary begins in the stream at 4 p.m. EDT.

Rocket engineers readied a Soyuz spacecraft for launch Wednesday to ferry two Russian cosmonauts and a NASA astronaut to the International Space Station.

The launch and docking six hours later will kick off an exceptionally busy few months aboard the space station, with a visit by the Olympic torch for a spacewalk photo op, the arrival and departure of multiple cargo ships and an unusual interlude with an expanded crew of nine astronauts and cosmonauts.

Read our full story.

Russian ground crews moved a Soyuz rocket along a desolate railroad line to a launch pad in the Kazakh desert at sunrise Monday, then hoisted the kerosene-fueled booster into position for liftoff Wednesday with three fresh residents bound for the International Space Station.

The launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome at 2058 GMT (4:58 p.m. EDT) Wednesday will come before the arrival of a Cygnus commercial cargo craft owned by Orbital Sciences Corp., NASA announced Monday.

The privately-developed resupply ship was supposed to arrive at the space station Sunday, but a data mismatch in the Cygnus navigation system forced ground teams to abort the rendezvous. Engineers have formulated a software fix for the problem, but managers opted to put off the second Cygnus approach until after the Soyuz docking Wednesday night to give teams time to rest and resolve the issue.

Arrival of the Cygnus spacecraft, which is on its first demonstration flight to the space station, is now scheduled no earlier than Saturday.

Check out our Cygnus mission status center for more details and continued updates on the flight of Cygnus.

After a quick nine-minute trip to orbit, the Soyuz TMA-10M capsule will ferry veteran Russian commander Oleg Kotov and rookie fliers Sergey Ryazanskiy and Michael Hopkins on an express six-hour journey to the space station, with docking to the Poisk module at 0248 GMT (10:58 p.m. EDT).

Kotov, Ryazanskiy and Hopkins will join the Expedition 37 crew in orbit led by Russian cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin with NASA flight engineer Karen Nyberg and European Space Agency astronaut Luca Parmitano.

Check out photos of the Soyuz rollout.