A Russian spacecraft has docked at the International Space Station to deliver Canadian circus billionaire Guy Laliberte - dubbed the first clown in space - along with an American astronaut and Russian cosmonaut.
Two days after launching, the Soyuz TMA-16 capsule linked smoothly and on schedule with the space station orbiting 350 kilometres above the Earth.
Mr Laliberte's five children and partner Claudia Barilla broke into applause while watching the ship dock on a giant screen at Russian Mission Control outside Moscow. "I'm very excited," Ms Barilla said while cuddling their two-year-old daughter.
Mr Laliberte, the 50-year-old founder of Cirque du Soleil, reportedly paid $35 million to become the world's seventh space tourist. He may be the last for several years, however, as Nasa retires its shuttle program and relies on Russia to ferry US astronauts to the lab - limiting capsule space.
Mr Laliberte, cosmonaut Maxim Surayev and astronaut Jeffrey Williams were joining the station's current crew of six a few hours after docking, when hatches linking the station with the Soyuz are opened.
An experienced acrobat, fire-eater and stilt-walker, Mr Laliberte said he would wear a clown nose aboard the station, and brought several more for his crew mates to try on. He also warned he would tickle them while they sleep.
But he has a serious mission for the trip as well - delivering a message to Earth about the planet's growing shortage of clean water. He planned to read a poem dedicated to water conservation in a satellite linkup to be shown in 14 cities from October 9th.
Former US vice president Al Gore, pop singer Peter Gabriel and U2 will also participate.
Quebec-born Mr Laliberte, who is worth an estimated $2.5 billion, returns to Earth on October 11th, with two of the station's current crew members aboard one of three Soyuz crafts now docked at the station.
AP