Fresh crew takes off for the International Space Station

Four astronauts launched from Cape Canaveral early Friday aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon and are scheduled to dock with the International Space Station Saturday to restore the station's crew to seven after an earlier early return.

Four astronauts launched aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon from Cape Canaveral early Friday to join the International Space Station. The flight carried commander Jessica Meir, pilot Jack Hathaway, European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot and Russian cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev. The mission was moved up after four crew members returned early in January following an undisclosed medical issue, and it aims to bring the station back to a full complement of seven. The launch followed a brief stand-down caused by high offshore winds and came as NASA's Artemis II moon mission remains delayed. Known details: - The Crew Dragon lifted off from pad 40 at Cape Canaveral at 5:15 a.m. EST and followed a northeasterly trajectory aligned with the station's orbit. - Docking with the International Space Station was planned for Saturday at about 3:15 p.m. EST to increase the on-orbit crew from three to seven. - Crew members named in the flight are Jessica Meir (commander), Jack Hathaway (pilot), Sophie Adenot (ESA), and Andrey Fedyaev (Roscosmos). Meir and Fedyaev are station veterans; Hathaway and Adenot are on their first orbital flights. - The four astronauts replace Crew 11, who returned Jan. 15 after one member experienced an undisclosed medical issue. Their early return left fewer hands available for U.S. segment operations and research. - NASA delayed Artemis II after hydrogen fuel leaks were found in the Space Launch System rocket; engineers conducted a seals test at pad 39B that did not go as planned because of a frozen filter in ground equipment. Further testing and a full dress rehearsal fueling test are required before Artemis II can be cleared for launch, tentatively as early as March 3. Summary: The arrival of the new four-member crew is intended to restore the station to a full seven-person complement and resume normal operations and research activity that had been limited with fewer personnel onboard. Docking was scheduled for Saturday afternoon. Separately, work continues on SLS hydrogen-seal issues and additional ground tests are planned before the Artemis II moon mission can be rescheduled.