Four Crew-11 astronauts return to Earth after medical evacuation from ISS

NASA said four astronauts returned safely to Earth after one crew member became ill on the International Space Station and was brought home early. The Crew-11 astronauts — Zena Cardman and Michael Fincke of NASA, Kimiya Yui of JAXA and Oleg Platonov of Roscosmos — splashed down in the Pacific off San Diego in a SpaceX Crew Dragon.

Jared Isaacman, the NASA administrator, said during a news conference that "the crew member of concern is doing fine," but NASA did not identify which astronaut was ill or the nature of the medical issue. The capsule landed at 3:41 a.m. Eastern, dolphins were seen near the recovery site, and the crew underwent initial health checks within an hour.

NASA called the return a "controlled medical evacuation," saying limited medical equipment on the station and the seriousness of the condition prompted an earlier-than-planned departure; the four had spent 167 days in space and had been scheduled to depart next month. All four were taken to a nearby hospital and are to stay overnight before returning to Houston on Friday, a decision NASA said also helps preserve the affected astronaut's privacy.

Key Topics

Science, International Space Station, Spacex Crew Dragon, Nasa, Jaxa, Roscosmos