NASA has scheduled the return of four astronauts from its Crew-11 mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS) due to a medical concern. This event, marking the first controlled medical evacuation from the ISS, will occur on January 14 and 15, 2026.
The Crew-11 team includes NASA’s Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Japan’s Kimiya Yui, and Russia’s Oleg Platonov. NASA has not disclosed the nature of the medical issue for privacy reasons, but they have confirmed that it isn’t an injury. Dr. James Polk, NASA’s chief medical officer, mentioned the problem arises from long-duration spaceflight and not from their mission work, which included preparations for a spacewalk that was canceled due to the concern.
As the situation unfolds, former astronauts like Chris Hadfield and Ed Lu have voiced their support for NASA’s decision. They emphasize the agency’s commitment to crew health and safety, even if it risks the operational capacity of the ISS. Hadfield noted that the station has functioned with as few as three crew members before, so there’s confidence in managing the situation until a replacement crew arrives.
This medical evacuation will leave astronauts Chris Williams, Sergey Kud-Sverchkov, and Sergei Mikayev temporarily on the ISS, highlighting how critical crew rotations are to maintaining operations. NASA is already accelerating plans for the launch of Crew-12, their replacement, to ensure that the station remains adequately staffed.
The Crew-11 astronauts are set to undock from the ISS at approximately 5 p.m. EST (2200 GMT) on January 14. They aim to splash down in the Pacific Ocean off California early on January 15. NASA will provide live coverage of both the undocking and splashdown on its various platforms.
As we approach the return, it’s clear that NASA is focused on balancing crew safety with their ongoing missions. The broader context here also includes NASA’s upcoming Artemis 2 moon mission, which is still on track for February, despite the changes caused by Crew-11’s early return.
This situation highlights both the risks of long-term space travel and the robust response systems NASA has developed to ensure astronaut safety. For updates, check NASA’s official channels.
