Three astronauts arrive at ISS on Soyuz MS-12 spacecraft

A Soyuz MS-12 spacecraft with three astronauts has docked successfully with the International Space Station (ISS), reported Sputnik news agency.

On Tuesday, NASA released photos of the successful docking.

This NASA photo obtained March 19, 2019 shows the Soyuz MS-12 spacecraft that launched three new Expedition 59-60 crew members to the International Space Station as it docked to the Rassvet module on March 15, 2019. [Photo: VCG]

The spacecraft was launched at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on March 15.

After a five-hour, 47-minute trip, cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin and NASA astronauts Nick Hague and Christina Koch were able to get inside the ISS.

Originally, Alexey Ovchinin and Nick Hague planned to enter the ISS by taking the Soyuz MS-10 spacecraft but the launch in October failed. The two astronauts returned to the ground safely with the timely initiation of an automated safety system.

This NASA photo obtained March 19, 2019 shows the Soyuz MS-12 spacecraft that launched three new Expedition 59-60 crew members to the International Space Station as it approaches its docking port on March 15, 2019 on the Rassvet module. [Photo: VCG]

The Soyuz MS-12 spacecraft will stay with the ISS until this October, according to the plan publicized by NASA on February 25, 2019.

It's been reported that the United States of America will continue using Soyuz spaceships in delivering its astronauts to the ISS until 2020.