Four Astronauts Arrive at International Space Station

New crew replaces NASA astronauts who left early due to health concerns

Published on Feb. 15, 2026

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Four astronauts from the U.S., France, and Russia have arrived at the International Space Station to replace colleagues who had to return to Earth early last month due to a serious health issue. The new crew will stay on the station for eight to nine months.

Why it matters

The arrival of the new crew restores the space station to full staffing after the unexpected early departure of the previous crew, which had forced NASA to pause some spacewalks and research. The medical evacuation was the first such incident in 65 years of human spaceflight.

The details

The new crew includes NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, French astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Russian cosmonaut Andrei Fedyaev. Meir and Fedyaev have previous experience on the space station, while Adenot is only the second French woman to fly in space. They were launched by SpaceX and docked with the station a day later.

  • The new crew launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida on February 14, 2026.
  • The crew arrived and docked with the International Space Station on February 15, 2026.

The players

Jessica Meir

A NASA astronaut and marine biologist who has previously lived on the International Space Station, including participating in the first all-female spacewalk in 2019.

Jack Hathaway

A NASA astronaut and captain in the U.S. Navy.

Sophie Adenot

A French astronaut and military helicopter pilot, who is only the second French woman to fly in space.

Andrei Fedyaev

A Russian cosmonaut and former military pilot who has previous experience on the International Space Station.

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What they’re saying

“Bonjour!”

— Sophie Adenot (pbs.org)

“Grateful to be on board, and we're ready to get to work.”

— Jessica Meir (pbs.org)

What’s next

The new crew will spend the next eight to nine months conducting research and maintaining operations on the International Space Station.

The takeaway

The arrival of the new astronaut crew restores the International Space Station to full staffing after an unexpected early departure of the previous crew due to a serious health issue, which was the first such medical evacuation in 65 years of human spaceflight.