WASHINGTON: Four astronauts docked at the International Space Station (ISS) on Sunday for a months-long research mission, replacing a crew forced to return to Earth early over a medical issue.

The US space agency's Crew-12 arrived at the orbiting laboratory after a journey of about 34 hours that started with blastoff from Cape Canaveral, Florida aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

"We have bridged the legacy of humankind's continuous presence in space spanning more than 25 years at this very site," American astronaut Jessica Meir said after docking at the ISS.

"As we look back at Earth from these windows, we are reminded that cooperation is not just possible, it is essential. Up here, there are no borders and hope is universal."

Other members of Crew-12 are American Jack Hathaway, French astronaut Sophie Adenot and Russian cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev.

The foursome are replacing Crew-11, which returned to Earth in January a month earlier than planned in the first medical evacuation in the space station's history.

The ISS, which orbits 400 kilometers above Earth, has since been staffed by a skeleton crew of three.

NASA declined to disclose any details about the health issue that cut the previous mission short.

Crew-12 will be one of the last crews to live aboard the football field-sized space station.

Continuously inhabited for the last quarter-century, the aging ISS is scheduled to be pushed into Earth's orbit before crashing into an isolated spot in the Pacific Ocean in 2030.

Microgravity and the human body
During their eight months on the outpost, the astronauts will conduct many experiments, including research into the effects of microgravity on their bodies.

Meir, who previously worked as a marine biologist studying animals in extreme environments, will serve as the crew's commander.

Adenot has become the second French woman to fly into space, following in the footsteps of Claudie Haignere, who spent time on the Mir space station.

Among other research, she will test a system that uses artificial intelligence and augmented reality to allow astronauts to carry out their own medical ultrasounds.

"I am proud to bring France and Europe along on this incredible adventure that transcends borders," Adenot said.

"Count on me to share every step with you and bring a sparkle to the eyes of the French people."

The ISS, once a symbol of warming post-Cold War relations, has been a rare area of continued cooperation between the West and Russia since Moscow invaded Ukraine in 2022. However, the space station has not entirely avoided the tensions back on Earth.

In November, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev – who had long been planned to be a member of Crew-12 – was suddenly taken off the mission.

Reports from independent media in Russia suggested he had been photographing and sending classified information with his phone while training at a SpaceX facility. Russian space agency Roscosmos merely said he had been transferred to a different job.

His replacement, Fedyaev, has already spent some time on the ISS as part of Crew-6 in 2023.

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Crew-12 docks at ISS for months-long research mission