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NBC News
nbcnews.com › science › space › astronauts-land-leaving-space-station-early-medical-issue-nasa-rcna253713
NASA astronauts splash down after leaving space station early due to a medical issue
Four astronauts safely returned to Earth early Thursday, capping a dramatic and unusual week in space that required the crew to leave the International Space Station about a month earlier than planned because of a medical issue that arose in orbit. NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov splashed down in the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of San Diego, at 3:41 a.m.
Published   12 hours ago
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/space › [nsf] - nasa update on medical situation on the iss. nasa evaluating a potential early end to crew-11.
r/space on Reddit: [NSF] - NASA update on medical situation on the ISS. NASA evaluating a potential early end to Crew-11.
1 week ago -

Earlier today NASA postponed an EVA as an astronaut became ill. The situation has progressed and they are now considering ending the mission early to bring everyone home. Given it’s a medical issue the astronaut and the exact issue aren’t being disclosed.

Full NASA statement:

As an update to our earlier communication regarding a medical situation aboard the International Space Station, the matter involved a single crew member who is stable. 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. 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.

Discussions

Nasa orders its first-ever space station medical evacuation after astronaut falls ill | Agency says US-Japanese-Russian crew of four will return to Earth in the coming days, earlier than planned
If you’ve ever gotten sick while on vacation and felt guilty about it…I imagine its that times a billion. More on reddit.com
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[NSF] - NASA update on medical situation on the ISS. NASA evaluating a potential early end to Crew-11.
has there been an ISS crew that has had to come back early because of a medical issue before? More on reddit.com
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Spectrum News
mynews13.com › fl › orlando › space › 2026 › 01 › 15 › nasa-says-astronaut-suffered-serious-medical-condition-on-iss
NASA says astronaut suffered 'serious medical condition'
1 day ago - Montalbano added that all four ... Space Center on Friday, he said. Last week, one of the four astronauts suffered an undisclosed medical episode, but was in stable condition....
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Reuters
reuters.com › business › aerospace-defense › spacex-capsule-with-ailing-astronaut-three-crewmates-splashes-down-off-2026-01-15
SpaceX capsule with four astronauts, one ailing, splashes down safely off California | Reuters
19 hours ago - The decision to bring all four home early was announced January 8, with NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman saying one of the astronauts faced a "serious medical condition" that required immediate attention of doctors on the ground. Isaacman was also present at mission control for the splashdown on Thursday. NASA officials have not identified the crew member of concern or described the nature of the medical issue, citing privacy requirements.
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PBS NewsHour
pbs.org › newshour › science › ailing-astronaut-returns-to-earth-from-space-station-early-in-nasas-first-medical-evacuation
Ailing astronaut returns to Earth from space station early in NASA's first medical evacuation | PBS News
19 hours ago - The astronaut fell sick or was injured on Jan. 7, prompting NASA to call off the next day's spacewalk by Cardman and Fincke, and ultimately resulting in the early return. It was the first time NASA cut short a spaceflight for medical reasons.
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NYTimes
nytimes.com › 2026 › 01 › 15 › science › nasa-astronauts-international-space-station-evacuation.html
NASA Astronauts Return to Earth After Medical Evacuation From International Space Station - The New York Times
Jan. 15, 2026 · An astronaut who experienced a medical issue aboard the International Space Station is back on Earth and in good condition, NASA officials said early Thursday morning.
Published   20 hours ago
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Global News
globalnews.ca › news › 11614554 › iss-crew-return-earth-sick-medical-evacuation-nasa
Sick astronaut returns to Earth with crew in NASA’s 1st medical evacuation - National | Globalnews.ca
1 day ago - SpaceX guided the capsule to a middle-of-the-night splashdown in the Pacific near San Diego, less than 11 hours after the astronauts exited the International Space Station. Their first stop was a hospital for an overnight stay. “Obviously, we took this action (early return) because it was a serious medical condition,” NASA’s new administrator Jared Isaacman said following splashdown.
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NewsNation
newsnationnow.com › space › ap-ailing-astronaut-returns-to-earth-early-in-nasas-first-medical-evacuation
Ailing astronaut returns to Earth early in NASA’s first medical evacuation
1 day ago - NASA stressed repeatedly over the past week that this was not an emergency. The astronaut fell sick or was injured on Jan. 7, prompting NASA to call off the next day’s spacewalk by Cardman and Fincke, and ultimately resulting in the early return. It was the first time NASA cut short a spaceflight for medical reasons.
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TODAY.com
today.com › health › news › nasa-astronauts-medical-evacuation-health-problems-rcna254055
Astronaut With Mystery Health Issue Forces NASA's First Medical Evacuation from Space
An astronaut who developed an unexpected medical issue while living and working on board the International Space Station is back on Earth after prompting a rare medical evacuation in space. NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov splashed down off the coast of California in a SpaceX Dragon capsule in the early hours of Thursday, Jan.
Published   1 day ago
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Sky News
news.sky.com › story › nasa-latest-spacex-crew-to-return-early-after-serious-medical-condition-13494209
Live
NASA latest: Agency gives update on astronaut with 'serious medical condition' - after first ever emergency return | World News | Sky News
1 day ago - NASA has brought home an astronaut with a "serious medical condition" from the International Space Station. All four members of the SpaceX Crew-11 mission splashed down near California right on time, while NASA has given an update on the "astronaut ...
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SpaceNews
spacenews.com › home › nasa astronaut hospitalized after crew-8 return
NASA astronaut hospitalized after Crew-8 return - SpaceNews
October 25, 2024 - WASHINGTON — A NASA astronaut who returned to Earth on the Crew-8 mission is hospitalized in stable condition after experiencing an unspecified medical issue after splashdown.
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BBC
bbc.com › news › articles › c205r8n0276o
Astronauts splash down to Earth after medical evacuation from space station
Four astronauts evacuated from the International Space Station (ISS) have landed back on Earth after their stay in space was cut short by a month due to a "serious" medical issue. The crew's captain, Nasa astronaut Mike Fincke, exited the spacecraft first, smiling and wobbling slightly on his feet before lying down on a gurney, following normal procedures.
Published   1 day ago
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CNN
cnn.com › 2026 › 01 › 15 › science › nasa-astronauts-splashdown-iss-health-concern
4 NASA Crew-11 astronauts return to Earth after medical issue forces early ISS exit | CNN
1 day ago - Rather, the problem relates to having a “medical issue in the difficult areas of microgravity,” Polk added, noting that NASA wanted to bring the astronaut home to make use of diagnostic tools.
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The Guardian
theguardian.com › science › 2026 › jan › 15 › first-medical-evacuation-nasa-astronauts-back-to-earth
ISS astronauts return to Earth in Nasa’s first ever medical evacuation | International Space Station | The Guardian
10 hours ago - On 8 January, Isaacman announced they would be brought home early because one of the astronauts faced a “serious medical condition” that required treatment on the ground. Nasa said the medical issue did not involve “an injury that occurred in the pursuit of operations”. In an emergency, the space agency can bring crews home in hours, but the astronauts were given a few days to train Chris Williams, the only Nasa astronaut remaining on the station, on the operations he would take over.
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ABC News
abcnews.go.com › US › sick-astronaut-rest-crew-undock-iss-nasa › story
Sick astronaut, rest of crew splash down in Pacific after undocking from ISS - ABC News
1 day ago - The NASA International Space Station (ISS) crew that included a sick astronaut splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego, California, early on Thursday morning. "Welcome home, Crew-11!" NASA said in an update, adding that the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft hit the on water on schedule at 12:41 a.m. PT. NASA said on Jan. 8 it was ending the current the ISS mission out of abundance of caution because of a medical situation involving one of the astronauts on board.
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NYTimes
nytimes.com › science › space & cosmos
Live Updates: NASA Astronauts Head Home After Space Station Medical Evacuation
Two Americans and astronauts from Japan and Russia landed in a SpaceX capsule in the Pacific Ocean after a medical issue prompted NASA to move up their return to Earth.
Published   10 hours ago
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NYTimes
nytimes.com › 2026 › 01 › 14 › science › nasa-astronauts-iss-return.html
NASA Begins Astronaut Space Station Medical Evacuation: What to Know - The New York Times
1 day ago - Four astronauts departed from the I.S.S. about a month earlier than scheduled because a crew member, who was not identified, has an undisclosed medical issue. ... The Crew Dragon capsule can be seen undocking from the International Space Station ...
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NPR
npr.org › 2026 › 01 › 14 › nx-s1-5672634 › nasa-spacex-crew-11-sick-astronaut-returning
NASA set to bring astronaut (and the rest of Crew-11) home early for medical reasons
1 day ago - NASA is returning the crew a month early because one has an undisclosed medical condition. Clockwise from bottom left are, NASA astronaut Mike Fincke, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov, NASA astronaut Zena Cardman, and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Kimiya Yui.
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The Independent
the-independent.com › space
Nasa brings four astronauts back to Earth in first-ever medical evacuation | The Independent
1 day ago - “Our timing of this departure ... Nasa astronaut Zena Cardman said. Officials have not identified the astronaut with the health issue or provided more details about it, citing privacy. They are “stable, safe and well cared for”, outgoing space station commander Mike Fincke said earlier this week. “This was a deliberate decision to allow the right medical evaluations ...
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Vox
vox.com › future perfect
NASA’s first medical evacuation from the ISS won’t be its last | Vox
2 days ago - Crew-11 will return to Earth ahead of schedule because of an unspecified medical issue. Included in the group are NASA astronauts Mike Fincke and Zena Cardman, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov, and Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui.