BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — NASA’s Crew-11 mission returned to Earth earlier than planned after a medical issue arose aboard the International Space Station, prompting the first-ever medical evacuation from the International Space Station.
Crew-11 commander Zena Cardman addressed the early landing during a Wednesday briefing following the crew’s January 15 splashdown.
“We are back here a little earlier than we expected,” Cardman said. “We are not going to be identifying the crew member or discussing details of the medical situation. Thank you for respecting our privacy.”
NASA officials say the crew was preparing for a scheduled spacewalk when one member experienced the still-undisclosed medical issue. Fellow astronaut Mike Fincke said the crew relied on onboard medical tools to assess the situation.
“All my crewmates have a lot of experience with ultrasound as part of science and medicine,” Fincke explained. “When we had this emergency, the ultrasound machine came in super handy.”
Despite the early departure, the mission accomplished much of its planned work. Cardman and Fincke, along with Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov, handled hundreds of science experiments and technology demonstrations during their time aboard the station.
The shortened mission will now require adjustments to the space station’s schedule, but NASA says upcoming crews are prepared to pick up the work.
“There’s going to be a change of schedule,” Fincke said. “When Crew-12 arrives, they’ll hit the ground running.”
NASA has not released additional details about the medical issue, emphasizing that the crew member is receiving appropriate care.
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