Four astronauts are being evacuated from the International Space Station following a crew member experiencing a significant medical condition. Video footage captured four members of Crew-11 entering the Dragon Endeavour spacecraft before sealing the hatch to the space station. NASA is shortening the mission on the International Space Station due to the medical emergency, prompting the US-Japanese-Russian crew to return to Earth earlier than scheduled.
NASA had to cancel its first spacewalk of the year due to the health issue, maintaining patient privacy while confirming the crew member’s stable condition. The returning crew, comprising NASA’s Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Japan’s Kimiya Yui, and Russia’s Oleg Platonov, had arrived at the space station in August for a minimum six-month stay. Their spacecraft is set to touch down on Earth at 8.41 am UK time.
The International Space Station has a limited supply of medical resources, including approximately 200 drugs, an ultrasound machine, defibrillator, and intravenous therapy kit. This marks the first evacuation from the space station in 25 years due to a health concern, with astronauts undergoing thorough medical evaluations before space travel. Over 280 astronauts have inhabited the space station since its initial crew in 2000.
Fincke and Cardman were slated to conduct a spacewalk to prepare for installing additional solar panels for enhanced power supply. NASA noted that it was Fincke’s fourth space station visit and Yui’s second, while Cardman and Platonov were on their debut spaceflight. NASA administrator Jared Isaacman commended the swift safety measures taken for the astronauts.
Currently, three astronauts, including NASA’s Chris Williams and Russia’s Sergei Mikaev and Sergei Kud-Sverchkov, are residing on the space station, with plans to return in the summer following their eight-month mission.