Four Crew‑11 astronauts return to Earth after in‑orbit medical issue

Four astronauts returned to Earth after an in‑orbit medical issue prompted an early departure from the International Space Station, NASA said. A SpaceX Crew Dragon carrying Zena Cardman and Michael Fincke of NASA, Kimiya Yui of JAXA and Oleg Platonov of Roscosmos splashed down in the Pacific off San Diego at 3:41 a.m.

Eastern time, and NASA administrator Jared Isaacman said the crew member of concern is doing fine. NASA did not identify which astronaut was ill or describe the medical condition. The Crew‑11 team had spent 167 days in space and had been scheduled to leave next month, but officials conducted a "controlled medical evacuation" because the station has limited medical equipment.

Hatches were closed at 3:29 p.m. Eastern, undocking occurred at about 5:20 p.m., and after about nine and a half hours in orbit and a 13‑minute deorbit burn the capsule reentered and parachutes slowed it to a safe splashdown. All four astronauts were taken to a nearby hospital for additional tests and planned to stay overnight in the San Diego area before returning to Houston on Friday; keeping the crew together was intended to protect the affected astronaut's privacy.

NASA said the affected astronaut was stable and had not required an immediate emergency return. Three crew members remain aboard the station — Christopher Williams of NASA and Russians Sergey Kud‑Sverchkov and Sergey Mikaev — and are scheduled to stay until the summer.

Key Topics

Science, International Space Station, Crew Dragon, Nasa, San Diego, Zena Cardman