The Soyuz capsule TMA-11, carrying the Malaysia’s first astronaut, Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, along with the Russian flight engineer Yury Malenchenko and the US astronaut Peggy Whitson arrived today at the International Space Station (ISS).

The Soyuz craft, which blasted off from Kazakhstan,two days ago, docked with ISS at 10:50 a.m. EDT, NASA said.

In the honour of the Malaysian astronaut, the Russian craft was adorned with the Malaysian flag.

Expedition 15 Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and Flight Engineers Oleg Kotov and Clay Anderson welcomed the new crew aboard the station when the hatches were opened at 12:22 p.m EDT.

During his nine-day stay at International Space Station Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, 35, who is an orthopedic surgeon, will conduct various experiments with microbes of tropical diseases and with proteins for a potential HIV vaccine. He will also study the effects of microgravity and space radiation on cancer cells and human genes.

Shukor, who is the first Muslim to fly in space, was shortlisted from more than 10,000 candidates during a nationwide search beginning in 2003, to become Malaysia's first astronaut.

"I feel very well and I have lots of Russian and American friends up on board with me here," Shukor said after the docking operation was completed.

He will return to Earth with the two Russians astronauts, Fyodor Yurchikhin and Oleg Kotov, on October 21

Peggy Whitson will become the station commander after a ceremony which will take place on Friday, October 19. She will be the first woman station commander.

"I think it's special that I get the opportunity to play that role," Whitson said. "But I think it's also special to have an opportunity to demonstrate how many other women also work at NASA."

Whitson was born and raised in Iowa, where at an early age she was inspired by the men who walked on the moon. "I thought 'what a cool job!'"

She decided she wanted to fly in space after graduating from high school, which was the same year they picked the first set of female astronauts. Whitson was selected as an astronaut in 1996.

During hers stay at ISS, Whitson will oversee the STS-120 mission. STS-120 will be the twenty-third mission to the International Space Station and will deliver the U.S. Node 2 Harmony module expanding the space station's capability for future international laboratories.

Built in Italy for the United States, Harmony is a high-tech hallway and Tinkertoy-like hub. It is a 23- by 14-foot passageway that will connect the U.S. segment of the station to the European and Japanese modules, to be installed later this year and early next year, respectively.

Whitson will return to Earth in April 2008.