US EditionAstronaut Mike Fincke reveals it was his medical issue that led to unprecedented early mission end
Mike Fincke experienced a medical event on Jan. 7 aboard the ISS that led to NASA's first-ever medical evacuation; the mission ended early and the crew received hospital care in San Diego.
- Mike Fincke, a NASA astronaut, said on Feb. 25, 2026, that he is doing well and undergoing standard post-flight reconditioning at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.
- During spacewalk preparations on Jan. 7, a medical event aboard the International Space Station prompted NASA to order an early return because the ISS lacked advanced medical imaging.
- Crewmates stabilized him, and Fincke said, `But sometimes things happen, and surprises happen. And the team was ready.`
- Following splashdown, the canceled spacewalk led all four astronauts to a San Diego hospital before they flew home to Houston the next day.
- The episode marked NASA's first medical evacuation from the ISS; officials initially withheld Mike Fincke's identity and staffing fell to three until Crew-12 arrived Feb. 13.
72 Articles
72 Articles
Astronaut Who Had 'Medical Event' on ISS Comes Forward
NASA's mystery patient from last month's sudden International Space Station return has stepped forward: It was Mike Fincke. The veteran astronaut confirmed Wednesday that he was the crew member who suffered a "medical event" that prompted NASA to end the four-person mission early and send Crew-11 back to Earth in...
NASA veteran astronaut Mike Finche confirmed that he was the crew member who suffered a worrying “medical event” that led to an early departure from the International Space Station last month. Finche and his fellow crew — NASA astronaut Zena Cardman, Kimiya Yui of Japan’s Aerospace Exploration Agency and Russian space agency cosmonaut Oleg Platonov Roscosmos — returned home from the space station in mid-January, leaving behind a minimum crew of …
NASA Identifies Astronaut Who Suffered Medical Emergency on Space Station
Astronaut Mike Fincke has been identified as the member of Crew-11 who recently suffered a mission-ending medical emergency aboard the International Space Station. NASA disclosed his identity and shared a statement from Fincke on Feb. 25. “On Jan. 7, while aboard the International Space Station, I experienced a medical event that required immediate attention from my incredible crewmates,” Fincke said. “Thanks to their quick response and the guid…
American astronaut Mike Fincke has announced that an emergency return from the International Space Station was organized for him last month. He did not specify exactly what was wrong with him. The medical emergency occurred on January 7th, and Fincke and his three colleagues returned to Earth on January 15th. All four were then taken to the hospital. For privacy reasons, it remained secret which of them had become ill. NASA has now released new …
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