LONGUEUIL, Que. - A bear hug in space between two Canadian astronauts marked a history-making moment as Julie Payette floated into the International Space Station and was greeted by fellow Canadian Bob Thirsk.

It marked the first time two Canadian astronauts were in space together at the same time.

Payette was a member of the seven-member crew of the space shuttle Endeavour who arrived at the space station Friday afternoon after five technical and weather-related delays.

Thirsk was so excited about the Canadian rendezvous that he snapped pictures as the hatch linking the craft and the station was opened.

"It doesn't get better than that for Canada," said Steve MacLean, president of the Canadian Space Agency, after watching the historic moment through a link-up on a giant television screen at agency headquarters south of Montreal.

"Two Canadians, at the same time, being able to share the common value of looking at space, it's not a miracle, but it is amazing," he added.

MacLean noted that eight Canadians have now flown in space on 15 flights.

A video feed showed members of the space station crew ringing a ceremonial bell as the hatch opened, with camera flashes exploding as they hugged colleagues that drifted into view in a sort of interstellar family reunion.

There are now also a record 13 space visitors on board the space station, with Payette being the only woman.

Payette arrived armed with gifts to mark the moment, including a variety of Canadian treats for her colleagues, such as maple cookies, maple butter and Alberta beef jerky.

But she and Thirsk won't have a lot of time for pleasantries.

They will shortly have to shift their focus to the complex tasks before them during Endeavour's 16-day stay at the space station, namely the completion of construction on Japan's Kibo Laboratory.

A news conference with the Canadian pair is scheduled for Sunday night via video link.

Over five space walks, the two crews will attach a platform to the outside of the Japanese module that will allow experiments to be exposed to space.

The collaborative operation was initially scheduled to begin last month, but was postponed after NASA discovered hydrogen leaks in Endeavour's fuel systems.

Mother Nature also thwarted efforts to get the shuttle off the ground as a series of electrical storms lingered dangerously close to the launch pad at Florida's Kennedy Space Center, cancelling the next three attempts.

Wednesday's launch took place under clear skies, but was not without drama.

A video camera mounted on the shuttle's external fuel tank showed chunks of debris flying off the tank during liftoff, hitting Endeavour's fragile heat shield.

As Endeavour's robotic arm expert, Payette will be part of the team assessing the impact of the debris and evaluating whether the shuttle sustained any serious damage.

Engineers have said a thorough evaluation could take several days.

Debris generated during takeoff has been a grave concern for NASA ever since the space shuttle Columbia disintegrated on re-entry in 2003, killing all seven astronauts aboard.

The tragedy occurred as a result of damage to the shuttle's wing caused by falling foam during liftoff.

Endeavour's mission also represents the last time a Canadian will board a space shuttle.

NASA intends to suspend its shuttle program late next year and until 2015 while it builds the next generation of spacecraft. The agency will transport its astronauts using Russian airlifts similar to the one that bore Thirsk into orbit on May 27.

Thirsk, a 55-year-old veteran of Canada's space program, is laying the groundwork for deploying Canadian robots onto other planets during his time at the space station.

The native of New Westminster, B.C., is one of Canada's longest-serving astronauts. He made his first space flight aboard Columbia in 1996.

Payette is also a repeat space traveller -- she was aboard Discover in 1999.