A Soyuz space capsule with two Americans and a Russian aboard has docked with the International Space Station.

The capsule blasted off from the Russian manned space launch facility in Kazakhstan and docked with the orbiting laboratory about five and a half hours later at 0255 GMT on Wednesday.

Tests and opening of the hatches was expected to take about 90 minutes before the capsule can enter the space station.

Joe Acaba of NASA is making his third trip into space and Russian Alexander Misurkin his second. It's the first voyage for American Mark Vande Hei. All are to stay on the space station for about five and half months.

They will join Russia's Sergey Ryazanskiy, American Randy Bresnik and Italy's Paolo Nespoli, who have been aboard the station since late July.