Four new astronauts arrived at the International Space Station Saturday, bringing the lab back up to full capacity after several of their colleagues were forced to leave early<\/a> last month due to a medical issue.<\/p>\n The U.S., French and Russian astronauts and cosmonaut launched from Cape Canaveral in a SpaceX rocket<\/a> Friday for the approximately 34-hour journey.<\/p>\n “That was quite the ride,” NASA Commander Jessica Meir said immediately after the launch, according to BBC News. “We have left the Earth, but the Earth has not left us.”\u00a0<\/p>\n The launch had previously been delayed twice due to weather concerns.<\/p>\n The SpaceX Dragon capsule carrying the new four-person crew approaches the International Space Station for docking Saturday, Feb. 14.<\/span> (NASA via AP)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Joining Meir for the next eight to nine months on the Space Station are NASA astronaut Jack Hathaway, France\u2019s Sophie Adenot and Russia\u2019s Andrei Fedyaev.<\/p>\n Meir, a marine biologist, and Fedyaev, a former military pilot, have both been to the ISS previously. Meir was also part of the first all-female spacewalk in 2019.<\/p>\n The astronauts spoke after arriving at the ISS Saturday.\u00a0<\/span> (NASA)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Adenot is a military helicopter pilot, and Hathaway is a captain in the U.S. Navy<\/a>.<\/p>\n SPACE EXPERIMENTS REVEAL NEW WAY TO FIGHT DRUG-RESISTANT SUPERBUGS, SCIENTISTS SAY<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n The astronauts after they arrived at the space station on Saturday.\u00a0<\/span> (NASA)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Adenot is only the second French woman in space.<\/p>\n “The spacecraft will take about 34 hours to autonomously dock with the space station\u2019s Harmony module at\u202f3:15 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 14, while traveling 17,000 mph in Earth orbit,” NASA said after Friday\u2019s launch.<\/p>\n Crew 12 mission astronauts: Pilot Jack Hathaway, Russian cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev, Commander Jessica Meir and ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot of France, leave the Operations and Checkout building before heading to their launch on Friday.<\/span> (AP Photo\/John Raoux)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n “What an absolutely wonderful start to the day,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman<\/a> said following the launch. “This mission has shown in many ways what it means to be mission-focused at NASA.”\u00a0<\/p>\n “In the last couple of weeks, we brought Crew-11 home<\/a> early, we pulled forward Crew-12 to the launch date today, all while simultaneously making preparations for the Artemis 2 mission, which its next window will open up in early March,” he added.<\/p>\n “The flight is the 12th crew rotation with SpaceX to the orbiting laboratory as part of NASA\u2019s Commercial Crew Program. Crew-12 will conduct scientific investigations and technology demonstrations to help prepare humans for future exploration missions to the Moon and Mars<\/a>, as well as benefit people on Earth,” according to NASA.\u00a0<\/p>\n NASA said the capsule’s hatch opened at 4:14 p.m. CT after it docked at the space station.\u00a0<\/p>\n “We are so excited to be here and get to work,” Meir said after the crew arrived on Saturday.\u00a0<\/p>\n Adenot added, “The first time we looked at the Earth was mindblowing. \u2026 We saw no lines, no borders.”\u00a0<\/p>\n Before Saturday\u2019s crew arrived, just one American<\/a> and two Russians remained at the space station, keeping it running.<\/p>\n A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches from Cape Canaveral for the International Space Station Friday.\u00a0<\/span> (Paul Hennessy\/Anadolu via Getty Images)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n January\u2019s medical evacuation was the first <\/a>in 65 years after NASA said a crew member experienced a serious health issue. The space agency has not revealed the nature of the medical condition or the name of the astronaut, citing medical privacy.<\/p>\n The astronaut with the medical emergency and the three other crew members who had launched with them returned to Earth more than a month early after the decision was made to bring them home.<\/a><\/p>\n The Associated Press contributed to this report.<\/i><\/p>\n <\/p>\n![\"Astronauts](\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1200\/675\/astronauts-speaking-after-arriving-at-iss-in-february-2026.jpg?ve=1&tl=1\")
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