New astronauts launch to the International Space Station after medical evacuation

SpaceX Launches Replacement Crew to Space Station Following NASA’s First Medical Evacuation

A new four-member crew blasted off toward the International Space Station on Friday, filling vacancies left by astronauts who returned to Earth last month in NASA’s unprecedented medical evacuation.

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station carrying NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, France’s Sophie Adenot, and Russia’s Andrei Fedyaev. The launch was expedited at NASA’s request to restore the orbiting laboratory to full operational capacity.

“It turns out Friday the 13th is a very lucky day,” SpaceX Launch Control radioed after the spacecraft reached orbit. Commander Jessica Meir responded, “That was quite a ride.”

The crew is expected to dock with the space station on Saturday, beginning what will likely be an eight- to nine-month mission. They will join the current three-person crew – one American and two Russians – who have been maintaining essential operations aboard the station since the medical emergency occurred.

The January medical evacuation marked the first time in 65 years of human spaceflight that NASA cut short a mission for health reasons. The agency has maintained strict privacy around the medical issue, not revealing which astronaut required evacuation or the nature of their condition. All four returning crew members were taken directly to a hospital after splashing down near San Diego on January 7.

NASA officials indicated they were satisfied with existing medical protocols and equipment, ordering no additional health checks for the new crew before launch. The medical emergency highlighted the challenges of providing healthcare in space, especially as NASA prepares for longer-duration missions to the Moon and Mars.

“With missions becoming longer, NASA is constantly looking at upgrades to the space station’s medical gear,” said deputy program manager Dina Contella earlier this week. “But there are a lot of things that are just not practical and so that’s when you need to bring astronauts home from space.”

The new crew will conduct several healthcare-related experiments during their stay, including testing a filtration system designed to convert drinking water into emergency intravenous fluid. They will also evaluate an ultrasound system that leverages artificial intelligence and augmented reality instead of relying on ground-based experts, and participate in a blood clot study by performing ultrasound scans of their jugular veins.

Additionally, the astronauts will demonstrate lunar landing skills in a simulated test, drawing special attention as NASA prepares for the upcoming Artemis II mission – humanity’s first voyage to the Moon in over half a century. A ship-to-ship radio communication is planned between the space station crew and the Artemis II astronauts.

For Adenot, the mission represents a significant milestone as only the second French woman to journey into space. Claudie Haignere, who inspired 14-year-old Adenot when she flew to Russia’s Mir space station in 1996, was present at the Florida launch site, wishing her “Bon vol” (Have a good flight) and “Ad astra” (To the stars).

While Hathaway and Adenot are space rookies, Meir and Fedyaev are making their second trips to the station. Meir participated in the first all-female spacewalk during her 2019 mission alongside Christina Koch, who is now among the four astronauts preparing for the Artemis II lunar mission.

“I wasn’t sure astronauts would return to the Moon during my career,” Meir said before launch. “Now we’re right here on the precipice of the Artemis II mission. The fact that they will be in space at the same time as us… it’s so cool to be an astronaut now, it’s so exciting.”

Meanwhile, NASA continues preparations for the Artemis program at Kennedy Space Center. Following hydrogen fuel leaks during a recent practice fueling of the Space Launch System moon rocket, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman indicated that additional testing is required before setting a launch date for Artemis II. He noted that while March 3 is the earliest possible launch date, the mission will only proceed after a series of successful fueling tests.