NASA's Crew-11 to Return Early from ISS Due to Medical Issue

NASA's Crew-11 mission is preparing to return to Earth earlier than planned due to a medical issue affecting one of its astronauts. The crew, consisting of NASA's Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Japan's Kimiya Yui, and Russia's Oleg Platonov, will depart the International Space Station (ISS) aboard the SpaceX Dragon capsule Endeavour on January 14, 2026. Undocking is scheduled for 5:05 p.m. EST, with splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off the Southern California coast expected at approximately 3:40 a.m. EST on January 15.

The affected astronaut's identity and specific medical condition have not been disclosed due to privacy concerns. NASA's chief health and medical officer, Dr. James Polk, stated, "The astronaut is absolutely stable. This is not an emergent evacuation."

This marks the first medical evacuation from the ISS since its inception. The Crew-11 team arrived at the station in August 2025 for a mission initially planned to last until mid-February 2026. Their early departure will leave the ISS with a reduced crew of three: NASA's Christopher Williams and Russian cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergey Mikaev.

NASA is evaluating options to expedite the launch of Crew-12 to minimize the staffing gap on the ISS. Despite the unexpected return of Crew-11, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman assured that the upcoming Artemis 2 mission, scheduled for early February, remains on track and unaffected by these developments.