Four astronauts will return from the International Space Station (ISS) more than a month ahead of schedule due to a medical issue affecting an unnamed crew member. NASA, citing privacy concerns, has not disclosed specifics about the health problem but confirmed that the affected astronaut is in stable condition. Dr. James Polk, NASA’s chief health and medical officer, stated during a press conference that the astronaut is not expected to require special treatment during the return journey.
Dr. Polk emphasized the advantages of conducting a thorough medical evaluation on the ground. “We have a very robust suite of medical hardware on board the International Space Station,” he explained. “But we don’t have the complete amount of hardware that I would have in the emergency department, for example, to complete a workup of a patient.” He highlighted the importance of returning to Earth for this evaluation, stating, “The best way to complete that workup is on the ground.”
Details of the Crew’s Return
The returning astronauts are part of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission, which includes American astronauts Mike Fincke and Zena Cardman, Kimiya Yui from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov. Their mission was initially scheduled to conclude no earlier than next month. Typically, NASA would wait for a replacement crew to be in place before bringing a team back to Earth.
However, Jared Isaacman, NASA’s newly appointed administrator, made the decision to expedite the return. Isaacman, who has experience in space travel through private SpaceX missions, noted that a new crew is set to launch to the ISS on NASA’s Crew-12 mission in the coming weeks. He indicated that the agency is working to accelerate that launch, which is projected for mid-February. “The Crew-11 team will depart the space station within days,” Isaacman confirmed.
The announcement of the medical issue also led to the postponement of a planned spacewalk, with NASA citing the undisclosed medical concern as the reason for the delay. In a statement, the agency remarked, “These are the situations NASA and our partners train for and prepare to execute safely.”
Current Staffing on the ISS
When the Crew-11 astronauts return, only one NASA astronaut, Chris Williams, will remain aboard the ISS. Williams arrived at the space station in late November on a Russian Soyuz capsule under a ride-sharing agreement between the United States and Russia. NASA officials expressed confidence in Williams’ ability to manage any responsibilities during this period.
Amit Kshatriya, NASA’s associate administrator, noted the strategic importance of mixed crews aboard the ISS. “This is one of the reasons why we fly mixed crews on Soyuz and US vehicles — because we want to ensure we have operators for both the US and Russian segments of the space station,” he explained.
As the situation develops, NASA continues to monitor the health of the returning astronaut and prepare for the arrival of the Crew-12 team, aiming to restore normal staffing levels on the ISS.
