Earlier this year, a 'serious' medical situation cut short a space mission and brought four astronauts home early.
On 14 January, Zena Cardman, Mike Fincke, Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov undocked from the ISS and splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego.
While the US space agency initially remained tight-lipped about the details, NASA confirmed that all crew members stayed in stable condition throughout the ordeal.
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Now, they've disclosed the identity of the astronaut who experienced the medical emergency.
In a statement from NASA, it's revealed that astronaut Mike Fincke was the crew member who suffered a medical incident at the ISS, which led to the agency carrying out its first-ever evacuation. At the 'request of Fincke,' NASA confirmed that he 'required immediate attention' after a medical event on 7 January.
“Thanks to their quick response and the guidance of our NASA flight surgeons, my status quickly stabilised,” the 58-year-old stated.
The event led NASA to cancel its scheduled spacewalk for 8 January. On the same day, the organisation announced it was evaluating an early return for its four-person Crew-11 mission.
The team had been living and researching aboard the ISS since early August and were expected to stay at the orbiting outpost until late February.
However, the agency’s chief health and medical officer and other officials opted to bring the astronauts back to Earth a week after the incident. The team also reported that the 'ultrasound machine came in super handy' while they were up in space as it analyses how astronauts' cardiac systems are functioning in low gravity.
“After further evaluation, NASA determined the safest course was an early return for Crew-11 — not an emergency, but a carefully coordinated plan to be able to take advantage of advanced medical imaging not available on the space station,” Fincke explained.
The Crew-11 astronauts touched down on 15 January, marking the first time the ISS has ever been evacuated for medical reasons. Fincke also thanked the teams at NASA and SpaceX, as well as the medical professionals at Scripps Memorial Hospital, La Jolla.
“Their professionalism and dedication ensured a positive outcome,” he said.
Fincke assured that he is 'doing very well' and continues to participate in the standard post-flight reconditioning at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.
“Spaceflight is an incredible privilege, and sometimes it reminds us just how human we are,” he reflected. “Thank you for all your support.