Four astronauts are being evacuated from the International Space Station following a crew member’s serious medical condition. Footage showed the Crew-11 members boarding the Dragon Endeavour spacecraft before the space station hatch was sealed. NASA made the rare decision to shorten the mission due to the medical problem, prompting the US-Japanese-Russian crew’s early return to Earth.
The identity of the affected astronaut and the specific medical issue remain undisclosed for privacy reasons, although the individual is reported to be in a stable condition. The returning crew, comprising NASA’s Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Japan’s Kimiya Yui, and Russia’s Oleg Platonov, arrived at the space station in August for a planned six-month stay. They are scheduled to splashdown on Earth at 8.41am UK time.
The International Space Station is equipped with limited medical supplies, including over 200 drugs, medical tools like an ultra-sound machine, defibrillator, and intravenous therapy kit. This evacuation marks the first instance in 25 years that a health issue has necessitated the evacuation of the space station, where astronauts undergo thorough medical screenings before space missions. Since its establishment in 2000, over 280 astronauts have inhabited the space station.
Despite the evacuation, the spacewalk planned by Fincke and Cardman to prepare for the installation of additional solar panels for the station has been postponed. This mission was significant for Cardman and Platonov, who experienced their first spaceflight. Fincke, a veteran astronaut, expressed pride in the swift safety measures taken by NASA.
Currently, three astronauts continue their work on the space station, including NASA’s Chris Williams and Russia’s Sergei Mikaev and Sergei Kud-Sverchkov. These astronauts are expected to return home in the summer after an eight-month stay aboard the space station.