NASA has spoken out after astronauts splashed down back on Earth following the world’s first medical evacuation.
Crew 11 who landed back on Earth in the Dragon Endeavour spacecraft were expected to complete a standard six and a half month stay after arriving at the International Space Station back in August 2025.
However, astronauts Mike Fincke and Zena Cardman, Japan’s Kimiya Yui and cosmonaut Oleg Platonov, disembarked a month early and carried out the 11-hour journey home in the early hours of this morning (January 15).
This is due to one of the astronauts, who NASA has not disclosed the identity of, becoming unwell.
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This is a first for NASA, who has not medically evacuated a team in its 67 years of operation.
The astronaut in question is said to be ‘stable, safe and well cared for’, according to Fincke.
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He continued: “This was a deliberate decision to allow the right medical evaluations to happen on the ground, where the full range of diagnostic capability exists.”
Cardman added: “Our timing of this departure is unexpected, but what was not surprising to me was how well this crew came together as a family to help each other and just take care of each other.”
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, NASA wrote: “Welcome home, Crew-11! At 3:41am ET (0841 UTC), the @SpaceX Dragon spacecraft splashed down off the coast of San Diego, California.”
On the NASA website, a statement read: “This completes a stay in space of 167 days for the four-person crew. The mission returned to Earth earlier than originally planned as teams monitored a medical concern with a crew member living and working aboard the orbital laboratory. The crew member is stable.
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“Teams aboard the recovery ship, including two fast boats, are securing the SpaceX Dragon and ensuring the spacecraft is safe for the recovery effort. As the fast boat teams complete their work, the recovery ship will move into position to hoist Dragon onto the main deck with the astronauts inside. Once on the main deck, the crew will egress the spacecraft.
“NASA previously announced all four crew members will be transported to a local hospital for additional evaluation, taking advantage of medical resources on Earth to provide the best care possible.
“Following a planned overnight hospital stay, the crew will return to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, where they will reunite with their families and undergo standard post-flight reconditioning and evaluations. Due to medical privacy, it is not appropriate for NASA to share more details about the crew member.”