Four astronauts are being evacuated from the International Space Station following a crew member’s “serious medical condition.” Video footage captured the four Crew-11 members entering the Dragon Endeavour spacecraft before the space station’s hatch was sealed. NASA is abbreviating the mission on the International Space Station due to the medical emergency, prompting the US-Japanese-Russian crew to return to Earth earlier than scheduled.
The cancellation of NASA’s first spacewalk of the year was necessitated by the health issue, although the agency did not disclose the astronaut’s identity or the specific medical problem, citing privacy concerns. The returning crew, comprising NASA’s Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Japan’s Kimiya Yui, and Russia’s Oleg Platonov, arrived at the space station in August for a planned six-month stay. Their spacecraft is set to land on Earth at 8:41 am UK time.
The International Space Station has a limited supply of medical resources, including approximately 200 medications, an ultrasound machine, a defibrillator, and an intravenous therapy kit. This evacuation marks the first instance of such an event in 25 years, with astronauts undergoing thorough medical evaluations before space travel. Since the station’s inception in 2000, over 280 astronauts have visited.
Fincke and Cardman were scheduled for a spacewalk to prepare for the installation of additional solar panels for increased power generation on the station. Fincke, a veteran with four spaceflights, and Yui, on his second mission, were accompanied by first-time space travelers Cardman and Platonov. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman commended the agency’s swift actions in ensuring astronaut safety.
Currently, three astronauts, including NASA’s Chris Williams and Russia’s Sergei Mikaev and Sergei Kud-Sverchkov, are on the space station for an eight-month mission after launching in November. They are expected to return home during the summer.
