SpaceX Crew-11 making early return from ISS after medical emergency
For the first time ever, NASA is bringing a crew home early from the International Space Station because of a medical issue with one of its astronauts.
The news came out on January 9, 2026, marking a historic moment—this is the ISS's first-ever medical evacuation.
What's happening and when?
Crew-11 will undock from the ISS on January 14 at 5:00pm EST and head back to Earth in their Dragon Endeavour capsule.
Splashdown off California is set for early morning, January 15.
Even though it's an emergency return, NASA says they'll stick to standard landing procedures.
Who's leaving—and who stays?
NASA astronaut Mike Fincke just handed over ISS command to Russia's Sergey Kud-Sverchkov before heading home with Zena Cardman (NASA), Kimiya Yui (JAXA), and Oleg Platonov (Roscosmos).
Three astronauts—including NASA's Chris Williams—will stay aboard until Crew-12 arrives next month.