NASA’s Crew-11 has returned to Earth following a shortened stay at the International Space Station (ISS) due to a crew member’s undisclosed medical condition. The SpaceX capsule successfully landed in the Pacific near San Diego, less than 11 hours after the astronauts departed the space station. The returning crew included Cardman, NASA’s Mike Fincke, Japan’s Kimiya Yui, and Russia’s Oleg Platonov. The specific astronaut with the health issue remains unnamed for medical privacy reasons.
Jared Isaacman, NASA administrator, confirmed the astronaut’s well-being during a post-landing news conference and assured that updates on their health would be shared when appropriate. Emphasizing the success of the mission, Isaacman highlighted the research conducted on bone loss, microgravity effects, and cryogenic food storage in space.
Joel Montalbano, NASA’s deputy associate administrator, stated that the crew’s return procedures were unaffected by the health incident. Following an overnight hospital stay in San Diego, the astronauts are expected to travel to NASA’s Houston headquarters on Friday pending any complications.
Dr. Farhan Asrar, associate dean at Toronto Metropolitan University’s school of medicine, noted the unprecedented nature of the mission’s early termination for medical reasons. He highlighted the rarity of such events in the ISS’s 25-year history, contrasting it with past missions affected by different issues.
Isaacman reiterated NASA’s preparedness for various scenarios and echoed the decision to prioritize astronaut safety. Dr. James Polk, NASA’s chief health and medical officer, clarified that the return was precautionary to provide comprehensive medical care on Earth, which wasn’t fully available on the ISS.
Despite the premature return, three crew members remain on the ISS while Crew-12, comprising NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, Russian cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev, and European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot, is scheduled for a February launch. Additionally, preparations are underway for the Artemis II mission, involving Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen and others, set to launch no earlier than February 6.
Asrar emphasized the importance of crew safety to NASA, highlighting the agency’s commitment to prioritizing astronaut well-being above mission duration.