Nasa Astronauts Begin ‘Bittersweet’ Medical Evacuation From International Space Station

By Blessing Nweke

Four astronauts have begun an early return to Earth from the International Space Station (ISS) after a medical issue forced the first evacuation of its kind in the station’s 26 -year history. The crew, known as Crew 11, undocked from the ISS on Wednesday, about a month ahead of schedule, and are expected to splash down off the coast of California in the early hours of Thursday local time.

Nasa confirmed that the mission was cut short due to a medical condition affecting one crew member. While the agency did not disclose details about the illness, it said the astronaut is in stable condition and receiving appropriate care.

Crew 11 consists of Nasa astronauts Mike Fincke and Zena Cardman, Japan’s Kimiya Yui, and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov. The team arrived at the ISS on 1 August and had planned to remain in orbit for the standard six-and-a-half-month mission, returning in mid-February.

The situation became apparent last week when a scheduled spacewalk by Fincke and Cardman was abruptly cancelled. Hours later, Nasa announced that a crew member had fallen ill. Speaking during the formal handover of command, Fincke described the departure as “bittersweet,” adding in a social media post that all astronauts were “stable, safe, and well cared for.”

Control of the ISS has now passed to Russian cosmonaut Sergey Kud-Sverchkov, alongside Nasa astronaut Chris Williams and cosmonaut Sergei Mikaev. The reduced crew of three will maintain station operations until the arrival of the next four-person team in February.

Orbiting Earth at an altitude of about 250 miles, the ISS travels at 17,500 miles per hour and completes 16 orbits each day. While astronauts are trained to manage minor health issues, the station does not carry a doctor, highlighting the challenges of long-duration spaceflight.

The incident is unprecedented for the ISS, though earlier Soviet missions ended prematurely due to medical emergencies. As human spaceflight expands to include tourism and future missions to the Moon and Mars, experts say onboard medical expertise may become essential.