Russia's Soyuz spacecraft with an international crew on board has arrived at the International Space Station.

The Russian mission control said the spacecraft docked early Friday Moscow time.

The spacecraft carrying American Mike Fossum, Russian Sergei Volkov and Satoshi Furukawa of Japan had lifted off Wednesday from the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan.

The three crew members join Russians Alexander Samokutyaev and Andrey Borisenko and American Ronald Garan.

They will spend the next five months aboard the station, which is being prepared for a final shuttle mission.

The crew will receive the last U.S. shuttle, Atlantis, which is scheduled to arrive in July, and make one space walk.

NASA is ending its 30-year old shuttle program and will have to depend on space vehicles owned by other countries to deliver supplies and crew to the International Space Station.