Apr 25 (NHK) - A spacecraft carrying Japan's Hoshide Akihiko and three other astronauts has successfully docked with the International Space Station.
The Crew Dragon developed by the US private firm, SpaceX, arrived at the ISS at 9:08 UTC on Saturday, and safely docked.
This is Hoshide's third trip into space. He will stay on the ISS for about six months and conduct scientific experiments. Hoshide will be the second Japanese ISS commander after Wakata Koichi.
Another Japanese astronaut, Noguchi Soichi, is now on the ISS and expected to return to Earth on Thursday.
Hoshide's arrival will mark the first time that two Japanese astronauts have been on the spacecraft at the same time since 2010.
The Crew Dragon capsule and its Falcon 9 rocket are designed for repeat use.
The latest mission is the first crewed flight making use of a rocket and capsule that have gone into space before.
Source: ANNnewsCH
