Cape Canaveral: The International Space Station has returned to full operational strength after a SpaceX mission delivered a new group of astronauts to the orbiting laboratory. The SpaceX capsule carried a multinational crew from the United States, France and Russia, reaching the International Space Station a day after launch from Cape Canaveral.
The new arrivals have included Nasa astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, French astronaut Sophie Adenot and Russian cosmonaut Andrei Fedyaev. The mission has been planned to replace colleagues who had to leave early following a serious health issue during a previous expedition.
The earlier departure marked Nasa’s first medical evacuation from orbit in decades and left only three crew members on board, prompting a pause in spacewalks and a reduction in research tasks. With the latest SpaceX docking, the International Space Station has resumed normal staffing levels. The incoming crew has been scheduled to remain in orbit for eight to nine months, continuing scientific experiments and station maintenance.
The four @SpaceX Crew-12 members with @Astro_Jessica, @Astro_Hathaway, @Soph_Astro, and Andrey Fedyaev docked in their Dragon spacecraft to the orbiting complex at 3:15pm ET today. https://t.co/y5V4O2wFtl
— International Space Station (@Space_Station) February 14, 2026
Meir and Fedyaev have both previously served aboard the International Space Station, while Adenot has become only the second French woman to travel into space. Hathaway has joined the mission as a US navy captain.
The crew exchange has been conducted smoothly, with astronauts greeting one another after the hatch opened and preparing for the next phase of research and operations. Nasa has stated that preflight medical checks for the replacement astronauts were not altered despite the earlier incident. The identity and details of the astronaut who fell ill in orbit have not been disclosed due to medical privacy.
The successful SpaceX flight has ensured that the International Space Station continues to operate with a full team, allowing scientific work and maintenance activities to proceed as scheduled. International collaboration remains central to the station’s mission, with astronauts from multiple countries working together in orbit.
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