Four New Astronauts Arrive, Restoring Full Crew on International Space Station of NASA

The International Space Station returned to full staffing on Saturday after the arrival of four new astronauts, replacing colleagues who left early because of health concerns.

A SpaceX capsule delivered the U.S., French, and Russian astronauts one day after launching from Cape Canaveral.

The arrival follows a rare medical evacuation last month—the first in 65 years of human spaceflight for NASA. One astronaut launched last summer developed a serious health issue, prompting an early return to Earth. The station was left with just three crew members—one American and two Russians—forcing NASA to pause spacewalks and scale back research.

The new crew will stay for eight to nine months: NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, France’s Sophie Adenot, and Russia’s Andrei Fedyaev. Meir, a marine biologist, and Fedyaev, a former military pilot, have previously lived aboard the station. During her 2019 mission, Meir took part in the first all-female spacewalk.

Adenot, a military helicopter pilot, is only the second French woman to fly in space. Hathaway is a U.S. Navy captain. After docking about 277 miles (446 kilometers) above Earth, Adenot greeted the station with a cheerful “Bonjour!”

A few hours later, the hatches opened and the seven astronauts exchanged hugs and high-fives. “Let’s get rolling,” Meir said.

NASA has not identified the astronaut who fell ill on Jan. 7 or detailed the condition, citing medical privacy. The affected astronaut and three crewmates returned to Earth more than a month early and spent their first night back at a hospital before heading to Houston. NASA said it did not change preflight medical checks for the replacement crew.