Four astronauts evacuated from the International Space Station (ISS) safely returned to Earth after a “serious” medical issue cut their mission short by a month.
The crew’s captain, NASA astronaut Mike Fincke, was the first to leave the spacecraft, smiling and wobbling slightly before lying on a gurney as part of standard procedures.
NASA’s Zena Cardman, Japan’s Kimiya Yui, and cosmonaut Oleg Platonov followed him, waving and smiling at cameras. “It’s so good to be home!” Cardman said.
This marks the first time astronauts have been evacuated for health reasons since the ISS began orbiting Earth in 1998.
Crew-11 to Undergo Medical Checks After California Splashdown
The Crew-11 team will complete medical evaluations before officials fly them back to land after their splashdown off the California coast.
At a post-splashdown news conference, NASA administrator Jared Isaacman said the ill astronaut is “fine right now” and in “good spirits.”
Based on NASA’s usual approach to crew health, officials are unlikely to disclose the astronaut’s identity or details of the illness.
Russian cosmonaut Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and two other crew members have taken control of the ISS.
Mission Cut Short After Astronaut Falls Ill, Spacewalk Canceled
The astronauts had arrived at the ISS on 1 August, expecting a standard six-and-a-half-month mission, with a planned return in mid-February. However, NASA canceled a spacewalk for Fincke and Cardman last week and announced hours later that a crew member had fallen ill.
“It’s bittersweet,” said Fincke as he handed over command of the ISS to Kud-Sverchkov on Monday. In a social media post, he added that all onboard were “stable, safe, and well cared for.”
Orbiting Earth at 250 miles above the surface, the ISS completes 16 orbits per day at a speed of 17,500 mph. Managed by five space agencies, it conducts a wide range of scientific research on space and the effects of microgravity on humans, animals, and plants.
ISS Lacks Onboard Doctor Despite Basic Medical Supplies
Astronauts rely on training and supplies as ISS lacks doctor
The evacuation served as a serious test of NASA’s procedures for managing medical emergencies. By most accounts, the mission went smoothly, though questions remain about how the agency might have responded if the astronaut’s condition had been more severe.
The early return leaves the ISS with a reduced crew of just three: NASA’s Chris Williams and cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev, until a new four-person team arrives in February.
“Despite all the changes and challenges, we will continue our work on the ISS, carrying out all scientific and maintenance tasks, no matter what,” Kud-Sverchkov said on Monday, marking his first command with a group hug.
The incident is unprecedented in the 26-year history of the permanently crewed ISS.
Health issues have forced astronauts to cut short space missions only twice before. In 1985, Soviet cosmonaut Vladimir Vasyutin and his team returned from a Salyut 7 mission four months early due to a urological problem. In 1987, Soviet cosmonaut Aleksandr Laveykin left the Mir space station early because of a heart arrhythmia.
With increasing human space travel—ranging from tourism to potential missions on the Moon or Mars—experts say future missions will likely need to include doctors on board.
Read the original article on:bbc
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