Four new astronauts arrive at the International Space Station to replace NASA’s evacuated crew

Four new astronauts arrive at the International Space Station to replace NASA’s evacuated crew 1 of 4 | In this image from video provided by NASA, France’s Sophie Adenot, Russia’s Andrei Fedyaev and Americans Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway greet colleagues as they enter the International Space Station after arriving on a SpaceX Dragon capsule on Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (NASA via AP) 2 of 4 | In this image from video provided by NASA, a SpaceX Dragon capsule carrying Americans Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, France’s Sophie Adenot and Russia’s Andrei Fedyaev, approaches the International Space Station for docking on Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (NASA via AP) 3 of 4 | In this image from video provided by NASA, foreground from left, Russian Andrei Fedyaev, Americans Jack Hathaway and Jessica Meir and France’s Sophie Adenot, gather with, background from left, Russian Sergey Kud-Sverchkov, American Christopher Williams and Russian Sergei Mikayev, after a new crew entered the International Space Station on Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (NASA via AP) 4 of 4 | Crew 12 mission astronauts, from left, pilot Jack Hathaway, Russian cosmonaut Andrei Fedyaev, commander Jessica Meir and ESA astronaut Sophia Adenot, of France, leave the Operations and Checkout building before heading to pad 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Fla., Friday, Feb. 13, 2026, on a mission to the International Space Station. (AP Photo/John Raoux) 1 of 4 In this image from video provided by NASA, France’s Sophie Adenot, Russia’s Andrei Fedyaev and Americans Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway greet colleagues as they enter the International Space Station after arriving on a SpaceX Dragon capsule on Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (NASA via AP) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. 2 of 4 In this image from video provided by NASA, a SpaceX Dragon capsule carrying Americans Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, France’s Sophie Adenot and Russia’s Andrei Fedyaev, approaches the International Space Station for docking on Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (NASA via AP) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. 3 of 4 In this image from video provided by NASA, foreground from left, Russian Andrei Fedyaev, Americans Jack Hathaway and Jessica Meir and France’s Sophie Adenot, gather with, background from left, Russian Sergey Kud-Sverchkov, American Christopher Williams and Russian Sergei Mikayev, after a new crew entered the International Space Station on Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (NASA via AP) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. 4 of 4 Crew 12 mission astronauts, from left, pilot Jack Hathaway, Russian cosmonaut Andrei Fedyaev, commander Jessica Meir and ESA astronaut Sophia Adenot, of France, leave the Operations and Checkout building before heading to pad 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Fla., Friday, Feb. 13, 2026, on a mission to the International Space Station. (AP Photo/John Raoux) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Updated [hour]:[minute] [AMPM] [timezone], [monthFull] [day], [year] CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — The International Space Station returned to full strength with Saturday’s arrival of four new astronauts to replace colleagues who bailed early because of health concerns.SpaceX delivered the U.S., French and Russian astronauts a day after launching them from Cape Canaveral.Last month’s medical evacuation was NASA’s first in 65 years of human spaceflight. One of four astronauts launched by SpaceX last summer suffered what officials described as a serious health issue, prompting their hasty return. That left only three crew members to keep the place running — one American and two Russians — prompting NASA to pause spacewalks and trim research.Moving in for eight to nine months are NASA’s 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 lived up there before. During her first station visit in 2019, 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 captain in the U.S. Navy. “Bonjour!” Adenot called out once the capsule docked to the space station 277 miles (446 kilometers) up. A couple of hours later, the hatches swung open and the seven space travelers hugged and exchanged exuberant high-fives. “Let’s get rolling,” Meir said. NASA has refused to divulge the identity of the astronaut who fell ill in orbit on Jan. 7 or explain what happened, citing medical privacy. The ailing astronaut and three others returned to Earth more than a month sooner than planned. They spent their first night back on Earth at the hospital before returning to Houston.The space agency said it did not alter its preflight medical checks for their replacements.___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.