NASA has announced its decision to expedite the return of a four-person crew from the International Space Station (ISS), shortening their mission by approximately one month due to a “serious medical condition” affecting one of the astronauts.
While the agency has withheld the name of the crew member and the specific medical condition, citing patient privacy, officials confirmed that the individual is in stable condition.
“This is not an emergency evacuation,” a NASA representative stated, emphasizing that “we always err on the side of the astronaut’s health.”
The announcement follows Wednesday’s abrupt cancellation of a planned spacewalk, citing a “medical concern” as the reason for suspending the activity scheduled for two astronauts.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, along with other agency officials, disclosed the decision to curtail the mission during a press conference on Thursday.
Details remain limited, but officials clarified that the medical issue is unrelated to space operations and is not the result of an injury.
An update regarding the timeline for the astronauts’ return is anticipated within the next 48 hours, they added.
This marks the first instance of an early evacuation in the history of the ISS, which has maintained a continuous human presence since the year 2000.
The returning team, designated Crew-11, includes NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Kimiya Yui from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov.
According to officials, one American astronaut will remain aboard the ISS, accompanied by two Russian cosmonauts.
Dr. James Polk, NASA’s chief health and medical officer, informed reporters that this is the first time in the agency’s over-65-year history that a mission is being cut short due to a medical concern.
Crew-11 launched to the ISS in August of the previous year aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and was slated to remain in orbit for approximately six months, with a return scheduled for next month, following the arrival of a replacement crew.
The ISS is equipped with essential medical equipment, supplies, and communication systems that enable physicians on Earth to conduct secure consultations with astronauts, assess their condition, and provide treatment recommendations, similar to telehealth services.
Dr. Simeon Barber, a space scientist at the Open University, suggests that the early return of the crew could potentially delay certain experiments and maintenance procedures until the new crew arrives next month.
“The space station is a big, complex feat of engineering, it’s designed to be operated by a certain minimum level of crew,” he said.
He added that the remaining crew would probably be forced to “dial back on some of the more experimental work and focus more just on the housekeeping and keeping the station healthy, waiting for the full complement of crew to be restored.”
From a superstar’s Met Gala debut to a historic World Cup win, here’s a look back at the year India had.
Blue Origin’s all-female crew, which included scientist Amanda Nguyen, was launched into space in April.
Nasa’s Jonny Kim and cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky have touched down in Earth after 245 days on the ISS.
For the first time Aditya-L1 will be able to watch the Sun in its maximum activity cycle.
New spacesuit created by Bristol University researcher could help astronauts move more freely.