Crew Delayed in Space by Capsule Issues Faces New Concerns on Return
Written by: Sam Orlando
STAUNTON, VIRGINIA – A NASA astronaut who returned to Earth last Friday has been hospitalized with an undisclosed medical condition, casting an unexpected shadow over the crew’s homecoming after an extended stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS). NASA has remained tight-lipped on the nature of the astronaut’s condition, describing it only as “a precautionary measure” following an eight-month mission delayed by issues with their intended return capsule.
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The four-person team, which included NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, along with Russian cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin, spent 235 days on the ISS—an unusually long mission by current standards. Initially set for six months, the mission was extended after issues with Boeing’s Starliner capsule left the crew dependent on SpaceX’s Crew Dragon for their return trip.