Emergency Return from Space
An astronaut who suffered from a "serious illness" aboard the International Space Station is safely back on Earth after the first emergency return flight to space. The astronaut and three others returned from a space mission a month early and landed in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego in the middle of the night early Thursday.
The Journey Back to Earth
With support from SpaceX, the capsule landed less than 11 hours after the astronauts left the International Space Station (ISS). Their first stop was a hospital for an overnight stay where they had to undergo standard procedures and medical examinations.
Update on the Astronaut’s Condition
At a press conference before their trip to the hospital, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said the four crew members were "safe" and in "good spirits." According to Joel Montalbano, NASA’s deputy associate administrator, it was only "about a week ago" when NASA decided to bring Crew-11 home early. He added that the team “went through all the processes meticulously.”
The Medical Emergency
The medical emergency was not disclosed, but NASA decided it was serious enough to bring the astronauts home a month early. Crew commander Mike Fincke described it as “bittersweet.” Officials declined to identify the astronaut who developed the health problem last week or explain what happened, citing medical privacy. However, Mr. Isaacman said the "worrying crew member is fine".
The Future of the ISS
Back on the International Space Station, a skeleton crew of three will keep essential services running – until a SpaceX launch in the next few weeks brings four more astronauts for a six-month stay in the orbiting laboratory. The four astronauts aboard the capsule were part of a team that conducted 140 experiments during their time in space.
The Return to Earth
The return marks the first time NASA has canceled an ISS crew rotation due to a health emergency. During the descent, the SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavor spacecraft landed by parachute in calm seas off San Diego. In a radio transmission to the SpaceX flight control center, the Endeavour’s commander was heard saying: "It’s good to be home."
What’s Next
Crew-12 is expected to launch to the ISS in mid-February, with four additional astronauts joining the crew. In the meantime, it continues to be inhabited by astronauts who flew to the ISS aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft in November.
