NASA Orders Early Return Of Space Station Crew After Medical Issue

NASA has announced it will end an International Space Station (ISS) mission early after one of the crew members fell ill. All four astronauts will return to Earth ahead of schedule. Officials declined to identify the astronaut or disclose details of the medical condition, citing privacy, but confirmed the crew member is in stable condition.

Speaking at a press conference in Washington, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said the decision was taken because the ISS does not have the facilities needed to fully diagnose or treat the medical issue. NASA’s Chief Health and Medical Officer, Dr James Polk, said the condition is not related to mission duties and did not occur during operational activities.

The mission, known as Crew-11, includes US astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov. Fincke, the station commander, and Cardman, the flight engineer, were scheduled to conduct a 6.5-hour spacewalk on Thursday to install hardware on the station’s exterior, but the plan was cancelled following the medical incident. Dr Polk said this is the first time in NASA’s more than 65-year history that a mission is ending early because of a medical issue.

Crew-11 arrived at the ISS in August last year aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and was expected to spend six months in orbit, returning around next month. Their early return will take place after the arrival of the next crew. According to Open University space scientist Dr Simeon Barber, the shortened mission could delay some research and maintenance work until the new team reaches the station. NASA said the decision to bring the entire crew back was made by agency leadership on the advice of flight surgeons, with the affected astronaut’s safety as the top priority.