The International Space Station returned to full strength with Saturday’s arrival of four new astronauts to replace colleagues who left early because of health concerns. SpaceX delivered the US, French and Russian astronauts a day after launching them from Cape Canaveral. One of four astronauts launched by SpaceX last summer suffered what officials described as a serious health issue, prompting their hasty return. A SpaceX Dragon capsule carrying the crew approaches the International Space Station for docking on Saturday (Nasa via AP)Moving in for eight to nine months are Nasa’s Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, France’s Sophie Adenot and Russia’s Andrei Fedyaev. The space agency said it did not alter its pre-flight medical checks for their replacements.

Source: Irish Examiner February 15, 2026 06:01 UTC