In this image released by NASA, space shuttle Endeavour Commander Mark Polansky, center, is greeted Friday after opening the hatch between the shuttle and the international space station.

Cape Canavarel, Fla. ? The space shuttle and space station hooked up Friday after a round-the-world chase, making for the biggest crowd ever gathered together in orbit — 13 Earthlings.

Endeavour docked at the international space station as the two craft soared 220 miles above the Australian coast.

Once the hatches popped open, the seven shuttle astronauts floated into the space station, one by one, and embraced their six station colleagues. It was a bit of a mob scene, a floating jumble of dark shirts, beige pants and shorts, and white socks.

“Welcome,” said the station’s skipper, Russian Gennady Padalka, positioned at the entrance.

“Thirteen is a pretty big number, but it’s going to be an outstanding visit for us,” said shuttle commander Mark Polansky. “We are just thrilled to be here.”

Besides being the biggest space gathering ever, it was the most diverse: seven Americans, two Russians, two Canadians, one Japanese and one Belgian. Twelve men, one woman. Four medical doctors. And engineers and pilots galore.

The station doubled in size, people-wise, at the end of May, and this was the first shuttle visit since then. Although 13 people have been in orbit before, they were scattered in separate spacecraft. The old under-the-same-roof crowd record was 10.

Their first team effort comes today, when two of the shuttle astronauts venture out on the first of five planned spacewalks to help hook up a porch for Japan’s space station lab. The porch will be used to hold outdoor experiments.

Endeavour’s fuel tank lost more foam insulation than usual during Wednesday’s launch. NASA managers say the dings appear to be superficial and pose no threat to the shuttle.

Endeavour will remain at the space station until July 28.