Four astronauts are set to return from the International Space Station (ISS) earlier than planned due to a medical issue affecting one crew member. This unexpected decision means the crew will come back over a month ahead of the original schedule. While NASA has not disclosed details about the medical concern, citing privacy issues, the agency confirmed that the affected astronaut is in stable condition.
Dr. James Polk, NASA’s chief health and medical officer, stated during a news conference that the astronaut does not require special treatment during the return journey. He emphasized the importance of conducting a full medical evaluation on Earth, noting, “We have a very robust suite of medical hardware on board the International Space Station. But we don’t have the complete amount of hardware that I would have in the emergency department, for example, to complete a workup of a patient.”
NASA’s Crew-11 consists of American astronauts Mike Fincke and Zena Cardman, Kimiya Yui from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov. This mission was originally part of the ISS’s regular staffing rotation and was expected to conclude no sooner than next month. Typically, NASA waits for another crew to be in place before bringing a team back to Earth.
Jared Isaacman, NASA’s newly appointed administrator and experienced astronaut, made the decision to expedite the return of the Crew-11 team. He explained that four additional crew members are scheduled to launch to the ISS on the upcoming NASA Crew-12 mission, which is being assessed for an earlier launch date. The Crew-12 mission is anticipated to take off around mid-February.
The timeline for the return of Crew-11 is imminent, with Isaacman indicating they will depart the ISS within “days.” This early return follows the postponement of a planned spacewalk, which NASA announced due to the undisclosed medical issue. In a statement, NASA noted, “These are the situations NASA and our partners train for and prepare to execute safely.”
Upon the return of the Crew-11 astronauts, only one NASA astronaut will remain aboard the ISS: Chris Williams, who arrived in late November via a Russian Soyuz capsule. He is well-prepared to manage any tasks during this transitional period. Amit Kshatriya, NASA’s associate administrator, remarked, “This is one of the reasons why we fly mixed crews on Soyuz and US vehicles — to ensure we have operators for both the US and Russian segments of the space station.”
As NASA navigates this situation, the agency remains committed to the safety and health of its astronauts while ensuring the continued operation of the ISS.
