Soyuz craft successfully docks with space station for 6-month mission

The Soyuz space rocket, which blasted off from Kazakhstan on Monday, has successfully docked with the International Space Station.

The multi-national team of Russian, Japanese and American astronauts have joined the current ISS crew – American Jeff Williams and Russian Maxim Surayev, who have been there for three weeks.

Almost 40 science experiments will be carried out during the trio's near six-month mission.

Part of the research is to help prepare teams for long-distance space missions, such as the effect on astronauts of having to endure a special diet.

Although the crew will be spending Christmas in space, the good news is that they will get to celebrate New Year’s 16 times.