NASA's Fincke Says Mystery Space Illness Still Unexplained
Mike Fincke lost speech for 20 minutes during a sudden medical episode on ISS, triggering NASA's first-ever evacuation; cause remains unknown after extensive tests.
- On Jan. 7, 2026, NASA astronaut Mike Fincke suddenly lost his ability to speak for roughly 20 minutes while eating dinner aboard the International Space Station, prompting crewmates to immediately contact flight surgeons on the ground.
- The incident triggered NASA's first medical evacuation in 25 years of continuous station occupation, leading the crew to return on Jan. 15, 2026, via SpaceX Crew Dragon to Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla in California.
- NASA utilized the station's ultrasound machine during the emergency, and doctors have ruled out a heart attack and choking, though Fincke described the sudden episode as striking like "a very, very fast lightning bolt."
- Fincke publicly identified himself last month to end speculation, withholding specific medical details to protect future astronauts' privacy—a stance NASA administrator Jared Isaacman endorsed, telling him, "You didn't let anybody down."
- This unprecedented event exposes critical gaps in onboard medical diagnostics, highlighting significant risks for future long-duration deep-space missions under NASA's Artemis program as the agency reviews monitoring protocols and astronaut medical records.
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118 Articles
The NASA Astronaut Evacuated From Space Due To Medical Emergency Says He Was Unable To Talk
Mike Fincke, the NASA astronaut who recently experienced a medical scare in space and was evacuated, is now revealing some details about the terrifying situation he faced. In an interview with the Associated Press, Fincke said doctors still don’t know the cause of his illness, but his medical emergency happened “completely out of the blue.” “It was just amazingly quick,” Fincke told The Associated Press. What happened when NASA astronaut Mike Fi…
Astronaut who lost speech on space station says doctors still baffled
NASA astronaut Mike Fincke said Friday that doctors still have not determined what caused him to suddenly lose the ability to speak aboard the International Space Station in January -- an episode that triggered the first medical evacuation in NASA history.
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