NASA’s Crew-11 safely returned to Earth on Thursday from the International Space Station (ISS) following an unexpected early departure due to a crew member’s undisclosed medical issue. The spacecraft, guided by SpaceX, made a nighttime splashdown in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego, less than 11 hours after the astronauts left the ISS.
The returning crew, including Cardman, Mike Fincke from NASA, Kimiya Yui from Japan, and Oleg Platonov from Russia, had their health statuses undisclosed to protect their privacy. Jared Isaacman, the NASA administrator, assured the public that the affected astronaut was in good condition and that updates on their health would be shared when appropriate.
NASA officials highlighted the success of the Crew-11 mission, emphasizing the valuable research conducted on bone loss, microgravity effects, and the storage of cryogenic foods in space. Joel Montalbano, a NASA deputy associate administrator, confirmed that the crew’s health issue did not impact the return procedures, and the astronauts were scheduled for observation and a brief hospital stay in San Diego before heading to NASA’s headquarters in Houston.
Dr. Farhan Asrar, an associate dean at Toronto Metropolitan University’s school of medicine, noted the unprecedented nature of the early mission termination due to medical reasons. Despite previous medical incidents on the ISS, such as a Soviet mission cut short in 1976 due to spacecraft issues, this was the first time a crew had to return early for a medical evacuation.
Isaacman reiterated NASA’s preparedness for various scenarios and emphasized the importance of crew safety. Dr. James Polk, NASA’s chief health and medical officer, explained that while the ISS has medical equipment, returning to Earth was necessary to provide comprehensive medical care. The early return was deemed essential to conduct a thorough medical evaluation with the necessary resources available on the ground.
Although Crew-11 returned ahead of schedule, three crew members remain on the ISS. The next mission, Crew-12, is set to launch on February 15, with astronauts from NASA, Russia, and the European Space Agency. Additionally, NASA is gearing up for the Artemis II mission, scheduled for February 6, which will involve a lunar orbit journey with Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen and other NASA astronauts.
Asrar emphasized that the recent events underscore the challenges of space exploration and NASA’s commitment to prioritizing crew safety above all else.
