ISS Crew Returns To Earth Early After Medical Evacuation
Four astronauts from the International Space Station are back on Earth after NASA made the call to end their mission early because of a serious medical issue affecting one of the crew members. The SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off the California coast on Thursday morning, wrapping up an unusual and closely watched return from orbit.
The crew, known as Crew-11, undocked from the station on Wednesday evening and spent about 10 hours descending back to Earth. Their capsule reentered the atmosphere at extreme speeds and temperatures before parachuting into the ocean near San Diego, where recovery teams — and even a few curious dolphins — were waiting.
NASA astronaut Mike Fincke was the first to exit the capsule, smiling as he was helped onto a gurney, which is standard for astronauts adjusting to gravity after months in space. Zena Cardman followed, waving to cameras and saying, "It's so good to be home!" Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov also appeared upbeat as they were assisted out of the spacecraft.
NASA has not identified which astronaut experienced the medical issue or shared details about the condition. The agency has said that the astronaut in question was stable during the journey home but will be taken to a hospital for further evaluation — which is uncommon after a spaceflight. “We want to take advantage of resources on Earth to provide the best care possible,” NASA spokesperson Leah Cheshier said during the agency’s livestream of the landing.
The decision to return Crew-11 weeks ahead of schedule was announced earlier this month after a planned spacewalk was abruptly canceled. NASA officials later explained the issue was not related to an injury during operations but rather a medical problem that was made harder to assess in microgravity.
“This was a deliberate decision to allow the right medical evaluations to happen on the ground, where the full range of diagnostic capability exists,” Fincke wrote in a recent social media post, calling the situation “bittersweet.”
Crew-11 launched to the ISS in August and was originally expected to stay about six and a half months. Their early departure leaves just three astronauts aboard the orbiting lab until the next crew arrives in mid-February. Russian cosmonaut Sergey Kud-Sverchkov has taken command of the station alongside NASA astronaut Chris Williams and cosmonaut Sergei Mikaev. As he assumed control, Kud-Sverchkov reassured the public that work aboard the ISS would continue as planned — and marked the moment with a group hug.
This is the first time in the station’s 26-year history that NASA has ended an ISS mission early due to a medical emergency.
As human spaceflight expands — from longer missions to future trips to the Moon and Mars — experts say incidents like this highlight the limits of medical care in orbit and the growing need for doctors to be part of space crews.
