Soyuz carrying U.S., Russian astronauts and 32 fish docks with ISS

ALMATY, Kazakhstan -- A Russian spacecraft carrying three astronauts and a consignment of fish has successfully docked with the International Space Station after a two-day voyage.

The arrival of NASA astronaut Kevin Ford and Russians Oleg Novitsky and Yevgeny Tarelkin on Thursday will bring to six the size of the crew at the orbiting outpost.

The trio blasted off Tuesday from a Russian-leased facility in the southern Kazakhstan town of Baikonur.

Cargo on the Soyuz includes 32 Guppy-like fish that will be used to test how conditions in space impact on living organisms.

A spacewalk to repair a minor ammonia leak from the station's temperature control system is planned for the coming days.

Another task for the incoming crew's first week in orbit will be the departure of a commercial Dragon cargo vehicle.

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  Members of the media photograph the Russian Soyuz rocket as it launches to the International Space Station from Baikonur, Kazakhstan on Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2012. (NASA / Bill Ingalls)

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  U.S. astronaut Kevin Ford, left, and two Russian cosmonauts Oleg Novitsky, center, and Yevgeny Tarelkin, right, walk away from their base to the bus that will take them to the launch pad prior the launch of Soyuz-FG rocket booster with Soyuz TMA-06M space ship at the Baikonur cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2012. (AP / Mikhail Metzel)