NASA pulls off 1st-ever ISS medical evacuation as Crew-11 returns early
NASA just made history with its first medical evacuation from the International Space Station.
On January 15, 2026, SpaceX's Crew-11 capsule brought four astronauts safely back to Earth—about one month early—after a crew member experienced a medical issue earlier this month.
Who was affected? NASA's keeping it private
The astronaut who needed help hasn't been named (privacy matters!), but NASA says they're stable and didn't need an urgent rescue.
All four Crew-11 members—Mike Fincke, Zena Cardman, Kimiya Yui, and Oleg Platonov—returned together.
What happens now for the ISS?
Crew-11's early return meant a planned spacewalk was postponed and only three astronauts are left on the station for now.
Still, Crew-11 managed over 140 experiments in their 167 days up there and even marked the ISS's 25th anniversary.
NASA plans to send up Crew-12 soon to get things back on track before the ISS retires in 2030.