Moscow ? The space capsule carrying a new U.S.-Russian crew and the first paying female space tourist docked smoothly Wednesday at the international space station.

Officials at Russia’s Mission Control applauded as the ship carrying Iranian-born American telecommunications entrepreneur Anousheh Ansari, Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Tyurin and U.S. astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria hooked up with the orbiting station in a trouble-free automatic docking following a two-day journey.

A couple of hours after the docking, the new crew floated into the space station, welcomed by its current residents, who treated them to a festive lunch. Ansari, who smiled broadly, was clad in a bright yellow polo shirt and baseball cap.

Her family and relatives of other astronauts were watching the linkup at Mission Control.

“All of us feel proud, excited and happy,” said Ansari’s husband, Hamid.