San diego: An ailing astronaut returned to Earth early on Thursday along with three crewmates, cutting short their mission aboard the International Space Station by more than a month in NASA’s first-ever medical evacuation from orbit. A SpaceX capsule splashed down in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego shortly after midnight, less than 11 hours after the astronauts departed the space station. They were taken directly to a nearby hospital for overnight medical checks.
According to United News of Bangladesh, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman stated after the splashdown, “Obviously, we took this action because it was a serious medical condition. The astronaut is fine right now, in good spirits and undergoing the proper medical evaluations.” The mission, which began in August, ended unexpectedly and left the orbiting laboratory temporarily staffed by only one American and two Russian astronauts. NASA and SpaceX said efforts are underway to move up the launch of a replacement crew of four, currently scheduled for mid-February.
Returning to Earth were NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Japan’s Kimiya Yui, and Russia’s Oleg Platonov. Officials declined to identify which crew member became ill or to disclose details of the condition, citing medical privacy. NASA said the astronaut’s condition was stable in orbit but that an early return was deemed necessary to allow full medical care and diagnostic testing on Earth. The re-entry and splashdown followed standard procedures, and the recovery ship carried its usual team of medical specialists.
The astronauts exited the capsule within an hour of landing, were placed on reclining stretchers for routine checks, and then transported to the hospital. Isaacman observed the recovery from Mission Control in Houston along with the astronauts’ families. NASA decided several days earlier to send the entire crew directly to a San Diego-area hospital and even conducted practice helicopter flights from the recovery ship.
The health issue first emerged on Jan 7, forcing NASA to cancel a scheduled spacewalk the following day and ultimately leading to the decision to end the mission early. Officials stressed that the situation was not considered an emergency and that this marked the first time NASA has shortened a space mission for medical reasons. NASA said the space station can continue operating with a reduced crew for now, but no spacewalks can be conducted until the next team arrives.
Isaacman said it is too early to know whether the launch of the replacement crew will take priority over NASA’s upcoming crewed moon mission, which is preparing for key tests at Kennedy Space Center. “For now, we’re moving ahead with both missions in parallel,” he said.