Jack Burgess
Live reporter

Well that wraps up an out-of-this-world morning. A SpaceX crew of three US astronauts and one Russian cosmonaut have arrived safely at the International Space Station (ISS), where they will be staying for six months.

Before we go, here's a quick summary of what's been happening:

• The Dragon Endeavour spacecraft has docked at the ISS - a research lab above Earth - and its hatch has opened successfully after the mission set off from Florida
• Missions such as this one are a regular occurrence, as crews are rotated every few months, but it remains no small endeavour as docking two ports the size of a manhole is not a straightforward matter
• During their mission, US astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt and Jeanette Epps, and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin will carry out as many as 200 science experiments
• In the context of worsening geo-political tensions, space is one of the few areas where the US and Russia continue to co-operate closely - despite the war in Ukraine

• The newcomers were warmly welcomed by a seven-person crew currently at the space station, which sits some 250 miles (402km) above the Earth

This page was written by Malu Cursino and Gabriela Pomeroy. It was edited by Jack Burgess and Nathan Williams.

We're now hearing from Libby Jackson from the UK Space Agency.

It's like "friends coming to visit, coming to stay", Jackson says about the SpaceX capsule crew being greeted by the seven-person team already at the International Space Station (ISS).

Speaking to the BBC about how long it takes for someone to acclimatise to living at the space station, Jackson says it can take about two weeks for the body to get used to it.

"The blood we have in our feet pulls up, the heart adjusts, the bones and the muscles get weaker, our balance system in our ears equalise, and it can take a couple of weeks to get used to the feeling," she says.

Jackson says those adjustments to the body, and the unique conditions of living in space, mean the experiences of astronauts are really useful for helping us to understand how our bodies age.

Here's the moment the four newcomers were welcome onboard the International Space Station by its seven-person crew.

The space-farers shared hugs as the three US astronauts and one Russian cosmonaut begin their six month stint in space.

Pallab Ghosh
Science correspondent, BBC News

The ISS is an orbiting research lab. As well as maintaining the space station, the crew's primary task is to maintain the 200 or so experiments on board.

Most of these make use of the fact that there is next to no gravity on board, so the growth of crystals and biological processes can be studied in a completely different way.

Crew-8's tasks include studying the growth of protein crystals and stem cells, with a focus on finding cures for cancer and bone loss. They will also study the effects of microgravity and the ultraviolet radiation that is more prevalent on the ISS on plants.

The astronauts themselves are wearing pressure cuffs on their legs which might prevent fluid shifting around their body and possibly reduce health problems in astronauts.

The experiments, while interesting, are unlikely to lead to major scientific breakthroughs or win the scientists behind them Nobel prizes. The overarching purpose of these missions is to gain experience of living and working in space for the next phase of human space exploration.

Image source, Reuters

The hatch to the SpaceX capsule carrying the three US astronauts and one Russian cosmonaut is now opening and the crew are making their way onboard the International Space Station.

US astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt and Jeanette Epps, and the Russian cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin, are beginning their six month stint in space.

They are being welcomed by the seven-person crew who were already at the space station.

Image source, Reuters

These missions happen regularly - but there's still a sense of jeopardypublished at 08:51 Greenwich Mean Time 5 March

08:51 GMT 5 March

Pallab Ghosh
Science correspondent, BBC News

Crews are rotated every few months on the International Space Station.

They are pretty much routine occurrences these days, so the three astronauts and one cosmonaut have got the docking and hatch opening procedures down to a tee.

Even so, there is still a sense of jeopardy.

It’s easy to forget that, while watching the crew calmly floating around, the ISS and the Dragon Endeavour capsule are hurtling around Earth at about 17,500 miles per hour (282km per hour).

So, docking two ports the size of a manhole is not a straightforward matter.

This is aided by automatic control systems, but sometimes there are last minute glitches, as happened when the British astronaut Tim Peake arrived in 2015.

In a dramatic few minutes, the Army Air Corps officer had to take manual control of the process.

The Crew-8 docking went smoothly today. Attention now is focused on the hatch opening sequence – to ensure that the new crew can safely exit the spacecraft and board the ISS to start their shift.

A SpaceX crew of three US astronauts and one Russian cosmonaut has docked at the International Space Station (ISS).

We're expecting the hatch to open at about 09:13 GMT and shortly afterwards the newcomers will meet the current ISS crew.

The Crew-8 mission will be in space for six months.

Image source, Reuters

Hello and welcome to our live stream coverage as three US astronauts and one Russian cosmonaut are set to arrive at the International Space Station (ISS), some 250 miles (420km) above the Earth.

Elon Musk's SpaceX firm is taking the crew of three men and one woman in a capsule for a six month stay on the space station.

Space is one of the few areas where the US and Russia continue to co-operate closely despite the war in Ukraine.

They plan to do various experiments on the space station and one will involve growing artificial replicas of human organs in the low-gravity environment - which is not possible on Earth.

The crew blasted off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 03:53 GMT on Monday and the Endevour spacecraft is expected to dock at about 08:00 GMT (03:00 EST), before the hatch is opened and the newcomers are welcomed on to the ISS.

We won’t be bringing you regular text updates on this page, but can follow all the action live on our video stream by clicking the Play button at the top of this page.