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Astronauts Head Home Early from ISS Due to Medical Concern
NASA is preparing to bring four astronauts back to Earth earlier than planned from the International Space Station (ISS) this Wednesday, following a medical issue experienced by one of the crew members in orbit. This marks the first time in the ISS’s 25-year history that a mission has been cut short due to a medical incident in space.
The undocking from the space station is scheduled for no earlier than 5 p.m. ET on Wednesday, provided weather conditions are favorable at the designated splashdown site off the coast of California.
While NASA has not disclosed specific details about the medical issue or the identity of the affected astronaut, citing privacy concerns, agency officials confirmed that the situation is stable. The early departure is described as a precautionary measure rather than an emergency.
“After discussions with chief health and medical officer Dr. JD Polk and leadership across the agency, I’ve come to the decision that it’s in the best interest of our astronauts to return Crew-11 ahead of their planned departure,” stated NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman during a news briefing.
The returning crew, known as Crew-11, includes NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov. They arrived at the ISS in early August and were originally expected to remain in orbit until late February.
Crew-11 will make their journey back in the same SpaceX Dragon capsule that transported them to the space station. If their departure proceeds as planned on Wednesday evening, they are anticipated to splash down in the Pacific Ocean approximately 11 hours later, around 3:40 a.m.
Thursday. Further details regarding the precise landing time and location will be provided closer to undocking.
Following Crew-11’s early departure, the ISS will temporarily have only one NASA astronaut, flight engineer Chris Williams, to oversee U.S. science experiments and operations. He will be joined by Russian cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergey Mikaev. The next crew members, Crew-12, are scheduled to launch to the ISS in mid-February, though NASA Administrator Isaacman noted that the agency will evaluate whether to accelerate that mission.