Cape Canaveral, 15 January (H.S.): A SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule undocked from the International Space Station on Wednesday at approximately 5:20 p.m. EST, initiating an expedited return to Earth for the four-member Crew-11 team due to a serious but undisclosed medical condition affecting one astronaut.
Live NASA webcast footage captured the capsule separating from the ISS while orbiting 260 miles above Earth south of Australia, with astronauts Zena Cardman, Mike Fincke, Kimiya Yui, and Oleg Platonov strapped into the cabin wearing helmeted white-and-black spacesuits as the departure proceeded smoothly.
Marking the first medical evacuation in the ISS's 25-year history, the mission—originally slated for 167 days—will culminate in a Pacific Ocean splashdown off California's coast early Thursday, announced January 8 by NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman citing urgent ground-based care needs.
Medical Mystery and Mission Abruptions
NASA has withheld the affected crew member's identity and condition specifics for privacy, with Chief Health and Medical Officer James Polk clarifying it stemmed not from operational injury but required terrestrial intervention beyond station capabilities.
The incident prompted cancellation of a planned six-hour spacewalk on January 7 led by Commander Fincke and Flight Engineer Cardman to install external hardware, initially attributed to a generic medical concern.
Launched from Florida in August 2025, the multinational crew—comprising two Americans, a Japanese astronaut, and a Russian cosmonaut—faced no reported injuries during routine activities, underscoring NASA's protocols for handling emergencies sans onboard physicians through telemedicine and limited resources.
Historic Precedent Amid Space Milestones
This unprecedented early return highlights evolving risks in long-duration spaceflight, where microgravity induces physiological strains like fluid shifts, bone loss, and vision impairment, though officials emphasized the issue's non-operational origin.
As the capsule hurtles toward reentry, ground teams monitor trajectory for the precision splashdown, with recovery forces prepositioned; NASA anticipates full crew handover to awaiting medical personnel upon landing, transitioning station duties to the incoming Crew-12 contingent.
Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
