US EditionFour Astronauts Splash Down Back on Earth After NASA’s First ISS Medical Evacuation
- On Jan. 15, NASA astronaut Mike Fincke, NASA astronaut Zena Cardman, JAXA astronaut Kimiya Yui and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov splashed down off San Diego at 3:41 a.m. EST, ending the Crew-11 return after NASA's first ISS medical evacuation.
- NASA announced on Jan. 7 that it had canceled a Jan. 8 spacewalk and ended Crew-11 early after an affected crewmember fell ill due to limited on-station diagnostic capability.
- They undocked at 10.20pm and reentered, with drogue and main parachutes slowing descent to about 15 miles per hour before splashdown around 12:41 a.m. , then SpaceX recovery ship SHANNON crews began medical checks.
- Only three people remain aboard the ISS, leaving NASA astronaut Christopher Williams to oversee U.S. operations solo, and NASA cannot perform spacewalks until Crew‑12 arrives Feb. 15.
- In the station's 25‑year history, this marked the first medically shortened flight; NASA declined to name the affected crewmember, who is stable and will receive local hospital evaluations and follow‑up at Johnson Space Center in Houston.
213 Articles
213 Articles
NASA Executes Rare Medical Evacuation From the International Space Station
NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission returned safely to Earth after 167 days in orbit, completing hundreds of hours of research aboard the International Space Station. The early return, prompted by a medical concern, showcased the agency’s ability to respond quickly while maintaining mission success. Crew-11 Returns Safely After Months in Orbit NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission has [...]
NASA brings Crew-11 home early in rare medical evacuation
SpaceX Crew-11 splashed down safely in the Pacific after more than five months in orbit aboard the International Space Station. The four astronauts completed over 140 experiments and traveled nearly 71 million miles around Earth. NASA brought the crew home earlier than planned due to a medical concern, with officials confirming the affected crew member is stable. The mission underscores how quickly today’s space programs can adapt while keeping …
ISS astronauts splash down on Earth after first-ever medical evacuation
Washington, United States (AFP) Jan 15, 2026 Four International Space Station crewmembers splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on Thursday, NASA footage showed, after the first ever medical evacuation in the orbital lab's history. A video feed from NASA showed the capsule carrying American ...
NASA Astronauts splash down on Earth after first-ever ISS medical evacuation
NASA ended Crew-11’s space stay on board the International Space Station a few weeks early due to a “lingering risk” to an astronaut’s health, in a stark reminder of the famous line from the Apollo 13 message: “Houston, we’ve had a problem.” A SpaceX capsule departed the ISS on Wednesday, carrying four astronauts, in an emergency return flight due to the ailing health of a crew member. Sick astronaut Nasa confirmed that the SpaceX Dragon spacecr…
The excellent state of health of astronauts, coupled with mandatory quarantines before flying, has contributed to minimizing emergencies in space. Since the space race began, some medical incidents have emerged, but only in two cases had health missions to be shortened, as happened this Thursday with an astronaut from the 'Crew 11' Read
Astronauts return after first medical evacuation
Four International Space Station crewmembers splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on Thursday, NASA footage showed, after the first ever medical evacuation in the orbital lab's history. A video feed from NASA showed the capsule carrying American astronauts Mike Fincke and Zena Cardman, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov and Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui land off the coast of San Diego at 12:41 am (0841 GMT). "On behalf of SpaceX and NASA, welcome hom…
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