NASA astronaut Mike Fincke departs agency after ISS medical incident
Veteran astronaut Mike Fincke is leaving NASA following a medical emergency that cut short his last ISS mission, though he says he remains committed to space exploration.
Longtime NASA astronaut Mike Fincke will leave the agency on Wednesday, NASA announced in a news release. His departure comes months after a medical event aboard the International Space Station forced his Crew-11 mission to return to Earth early.
Fincke, who joined the astronaut corps in 1996 and has logged 549 days in orbit, said he is “deeply committed to the work of exploration” and expressed gratitude to his crewmates, ground teams, international partners and families. He added that he looks forward to helping prepare the next generation of engineers, explorers and leaders.
During the Crew-11 flight in January, Fincke experienced a sudden loss of speech for about 20 minutes, prompting an urgent return to Earth for advanced medical imaging not available on the station. The incident marked the first time NASA cut short an ISS staffing mission for health reasons. While the agency did not initially disclose the astronaut’s identity, Fincombe later confirmed he was the affected crew member.
NASA officials said the astronaut was in stable condition and that the crew’s early return allowed for prompt medical evaluation. The agency also cancelled a planned spacewalk and accelerated the launch of the subsequent Crew-12 mission, which arrived on February 14 to restore the station’s typical seven-person complement.
Fincke did not disclose his future plans, and NASA provided no further details about his new role or activities.