Russian Spacecraft Docks With Space Station

Your browser doesn’t support HTML5

WATCH: A Russian Soyuz spacecraft docks with the International Space Station

A Russian Soyuz spacecraft with a Russian-American crew aboard has docked with the International Space Station (ISS).

The two Russian cosmonauts and American astronaut aboard the Soyuz blasted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on May 16 after a delay of some 40 days due to the need for more safety checks.

A private company -- SpaceX -- is preparing to launch an unmanned cargo ship to the ISS on May 19.

SpaceX is hoping its Dragon spacecraft can eventually bring crew members to the ISS, taking over the duties U.S. space shuttles performed before the program was discontinued.

Based on reporting by ITAR-TASS and AFP