TOKYO: A US spacecraft carrying veteran Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi and others docked to the International Space Station around 1 p.m. Tuesday Japan time (4 a.m. GMT).

Noguchi, 55, who is on his third trip to space, will stay at the ISS for a long stay.

According to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, the flight of the Crew Dragon spacecraft to the ISS went well.

There was a problem with heaters that warm fuel for thrusters after the spacecraft entered orbit to the ISS on Monday. But the problem has been solved through software update, JAXA said.

On Tuesday morning Japan time, Noguchi and three other astronauts gave a live video tour inside the spacecraft, developed by US company SpaceX, on NASA Television.

Noguchi greeted in both English and Japanese, saying, “Good evening, Konbanwa,” from the spacecraft’s cargo area.

A hatch connecting the Crew Dragon and the ISS is expected to open around 3 p.m.

The quartet will stay at the ISS for about a half year. Noguchi will enter the ISS for the first time in about 10 years since his long-term stay between 2009 and 2010.

The four astronauts are scheduled to interact with NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine and JAXA President Hiroshi Yamakawa from the ISS for a short time.

JIJI Press