NASA prepares urgent ISS crew evacuation this week: Know why
What's the story
NASA and SpaceX are preparing for an early return of the Crew-11 mission from the International Space Station (ISS). The decision comes after a "medical concern" was detected with one of the astronauts on board. The four-member crew includes NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov.
Mission impact
Early return to disrupt rotation schedule
The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft is scheduled to undock on January 14, weather permitting, and splash down off California's coast on January 15. The early return will disrupt the rotation schedule, possibly requiring adjustments for the incoming Crew-12. NASA has handled similar situations before but medical evacuations are rare. The agency prioritizes crew safety above all else, with onboard medical kits and telemedicine links to ground doctors providing initial care.
Post-splashdown procedure
Recovery ships on standby for capsule retrieval
As the Dragon prepares for departure, ground teams at SpaceX's Hawthorne facility and NASA's Johnson Space Center are on high alert. Recovery ships positioned in the Pacific will retrieve the capsule post-splashdown, whisking the crew to medical evaluation. NASA has assured that ISS operations will continue seamlessly with its remaining crew.