Four Astronauts Arrive at International Space Station for 8-Month Mission

New crew brings space station back to full capacity after medical emergency evacuation last month

Published on Feb. 15, 2026

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Four new astronauts, including members from the U.S., France, and Russia, arrived at the International Space Station on Saturday after launching from Cape Canaveral the previous day. The new crew is expected to remain aboard the ISS for about 8 months, restoring the station to full capacity following a medical emergency that forced an early evacuation of several crew members last month.

Why it matters

The arrival of the new astronauts is significant as it marks a return to full staffing at the International Space Station after a rare medical evacuation last month. The ISS relies on a consistent crew to maintain operations and conduct important scientific research, so restoring the full complement of astronauts is crucial for the station's continued functionality.

The details

The four new astronauts who arrived at the ISS on Saturday are NASA Commander Jessica Meir, NASA astronaut Jack Hathaway, astronaut Sophie Adenot from France, and Russian cosmonaut Andrei Fedyaev. Commander Meir and Cosmonaut Fedyaev have both been to the ISS before, while Adenot is a military pilot and Hathaway is a U.S. Navy captain. The crew launched from Cape Canaveral on a SpaceX rocket and their journey to the space station took about 34 hours.

  • The astronauts launched from Cape Canaveral on Friday, February 14, 2026.
  • The crew arrived and docked with the ISS on Saturday, February 15, 2026 at around 4:14 PM Central Time.

The players

Jessica Meir

NASA Commander and Marine Biologist who has previously been to the International Space Station.

Jack Hathaway

NASA astronaut and U.S. Navy Captain.

Sophie Adenot

Astronaut from France who is a military pilot and flies helicopters.

Andrei Fedyaev

Russian cosmonaut and former military pilot who has also been to the International Space Station before.

SpaceX

The private aerospace company that launched the astronauts to the ISS on one of their rockets.

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What they’re saying

“That was quite the ride. We have left the Earth, but the Earth has not left us.”

— Jessica Meir, NASA Commander (BBC News)

What’s next

The new crew is expected to remain aboard the International Space Station for approximately 8 months, conducting scientific research and maintaining operations on the orbiting laboratory.

The takeaway

The arrival of the new astronauts at the International Space Station is an important milestone, restoring the station to full capacity after a rare medical emergency forced an early evacuation of several crew members last month. This highlights the critical need for a consistent, full crew to keep the ISS functioning and enable the important scientific work conducted aboard the orbiting laboratory.