New Delhi:
The International Space Station has returned to full strength with the arrival of four new astronauts, replacing colleagues who departed early due to health concerns. SpaceX delivered the US, French, and Russian astronauts on Saturday, a day after launching them from Cape Canaveral.
NASA’s first medical evacuation in decades
Last month’s medical evacuation marked the first for NASA in 65 years of human spaceflight. One of the four astronauts launched by SpaceX last summer experienced what officials described as a serious health issue, prompting an early return to Earth.
The unexpected departure left only three crew members aboard the space station — one American and two Russians — leading NASA to pause spacewalks and scale back research activities.
New crew members arrive for long-duration mission
The new team, set to spend eight to nine months aboard the ISS, includes NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, France’s Sophie Adenot, and Russia’s Andrei Fedyaev.
Jessica Meir, a marine biologist, and Andrei Fedyaev, a former military pilot, have both previously lived and worked on the station. During her first mission in 2019, Meir participated in the first all-female spacewalk.
Sophie Adenot, a military helicopter pilot, becomes only the second French woman to travel to space. Jack Hathaway serves as a captain in the US Navy.
“Bonjour!” Adenot called out after the capsule docked with the space station, orbiting 277 miles (446 kilometres) above Earth.
A few hours later, the hatches opened, and the seven astronauts embraced and exchanged high-fives. “Let’s get rolling,” Meir said.
NASA maintains medical protocols
NASA has declined to reveal the identity of the astronaut who fell ill in orbit on January 7 or provide further details, citing medical privacy. The affected astronaut and three others returned to Earth more than a month ahead of schedule and spent their first night back at a hospital before returning to Houston.
The space agency confirmed that it did not modify its preflight medical screening procedures for the replacement crew.
With the arrival of the new astronauts, the International Space Station resumes full operations, restoring research activities and mission continuity in low Earth orbit.
