“Medical Concern” Aboard International Space Station Has NASA Considering Early Return For Crew
As of Thursday, Jan. 8, NASA is “evaluating all options,” including an early return, as a “medical concern” among a crew of four astronauts aboard the International Space Station has arisen. The Crew-11 team is comprised of NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, pictured at top; as well as Japan’s Kimiya Yui and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov. (Photo credit: NASA)
A Spacewalk Has Been Postponed As NASA Is “Evaluating All Options”
“Safely conducting our missions is our highest priority, and we are actively evaluating all options, including the possibility of an earlier end to Crew-11’s mission,” wrote NASA in a statement released today, Thursday, Jan. 8.
Astronauts aboard the International Space Station had a scheduled spacewalk set to occur today.
However, that spacewalk has been postponed.
According to NASA, the Jan. 7 decision to postpone the spacewalk was made as “the agency is monitoring a medical concern with a crew member that arose Wednesday afternoon aboard the orbital complex.”
Little information has been disclosed on this development, with NASA adding, “Due to medical privacy, it is not appropriate for NASA to share more details about the crew member.”
The agency did note that “the situation is stable.”
About The Crew
Aboard the International Space Station, there are presently seven astronauts, four of which are part of SpaceX Crew-11.
The Crew-11 team is comprised of NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, as well as Japan’s Kimiya Yui, from JAXA; and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov.
Cardman, who is serving as commander of the Crew-11 mission, is on her first spaceflight.
Fincke, who is the mission’s pilot, has spent the longest amount of time in space of those in Crew-11, having spent a total of 541 days in space as of Jan. 8.
On August 1, 2025, Crew-11 launched to the ISS aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon, making it the 11th commercial flight conducted by NASA. Crew-11 successfully docked at the space station the next day.
They are expected to return in late February of this year, unless NASA decides to pursue returning Crew-11 to Earth ahead of schedule.
NASA concluded its Jan. 8 update, writing, “These are the situations NASA and our partners train for and prepare to execute safely. We will provide further updates within the next 24 hours.”
Revisit the SpaceX Crew-11 launch, here:
Information On The Postponed Spacewalk
During a Jan. 6 news conference conducted by NASA, prior to the announcement of a “medical concern” within Crew-11, the goals for the Jan. 8 spacewalk were outlined.
NASA had planned for Commander Cardman and Pilot Fincke to participate in the spacewalk, working to “finish the prep for … future rollout solar arrays.”
These rollout solar arrays, or ROSA, are used to power the International Space Station.
“Additionally, the duo will swab the outside of the ISS again to test for microbes in our microorganisms experiment campaign,” said Bill Spetch, operations integration manager with NASA.
Notably, the spacewalk was to be Cardman’s first spacewalk, and it would’ve been Fincke’s 10th.
Watch the press conference for the now-postponed spacewalk, here:
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