{"id":500971,"date":"2026-02-26T14:38:14","date_gmt":"2026-02-26T14:38:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/500971\/"},"modified":"2026-02-26T14:38:14","modified_gmt":"2026-02-26T14:38:14","slug":"nasa-astronaut-says-his-medical-issue-led-to-early-return-from-the-iss","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/500971\/","title":{"rendered":"NASA astronaut says his medical issue led to early return from the ISS"},"content":{"rendered":"

HOUSTON \u2014 NASA astronaut Mike Fincke said he was the crew member whose medical issue prompted the early return of the Crew-11 mission from the International Space Station last month.<\/p>\n

NASA released a statement<\/a> from Fincke on Feb. 25 in which he said he suffered a \u201cmedical event\u201d on the station that led to NASA\u2019s decision to bring him and three other astronauts back to Earth more than a month earlier than planned.<\/p>\n

\u201cOn Jan. 7, while aboard the International Space Station, I experienced a medical event that required immediate attention from my incredible crewmates. Thanks to their quick response and the guidance of our NASA flight surgeons, my status quickly stabilized,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He did not disclose details about the medical event but said it required \u201cadvanced medical imaging not available on the space station.\u201d<\/p>\n

NASA announced Jan. 8 that it had decided to return Crew-11 home early<\/a>, a day after reporting an incident involving a member of the crew. The agency declined at the time to identify the astronaut or the nature of the issue beyond describing it as a \u201cserious medical condition,\u201d although one that did not require immediate evacuation.<\/p>\n

Citing medical privacy concerns, NASA provided no additional details. The Crew Dragon spacecraft that delivered Crew-11 to the station in August returned Jan. 15<\/a>, with all four astronauts exiting the capsule normally.<\/p>\n

At a Jan. 21 briefing, Fincke and the other Crew-11 members \u2014 NASA astronaut Zena Cardman, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Kimiya Yui and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov \u2014 again declined to discuss details of the medical incident. Fincke said an ultrasound device on the station, used for routine health assessments, \u201ccame in super handy\u201d during the episode.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe wanted to get the affected individual down to the ground so we could get them into modern imaging machines,\u201d Ken Bowersox, NASA associate administrator for space operations, said during a speech at the ASCENDxTexas conference Feb. 25. \u201cThat\u2019s as much for the health and well-being of the individual as it was to gather data.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fincke provided additional details in a social media post<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow that the full range of terrestrial imaging and diagnostic evaluations \u2014 capabilities available only here on Earth \u2014 have been completed, I\u2019m grateful to share that the results are very reassuring and that I\u2019m firmly on the path to a complete recovery,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n

\u201cSpace and microgravity continue to teach us \u2014 sometimes in surprising ways. NASA made this decision with calm judgment and with people at the center. That says everything about the culture I am proud to serve in,\u201d he wrote, thanking his crewmates and ground teams for his safe return.<\/p>\n

Fincke joined NASA\u2019s astronaut corps in 1996 and has flown three long-duration missions to the station as well as the next-to-last space shuttle flight in 2011. He has spent 549 days in space and performed nine spacewalks. He had been preparing for his 10th spacewalk, alongside Cardman, scheduled for Jan. 8 when he experienced the medical incident that called off the spacewalk and led to his early return.<\/p>\n

\u201cServing aboard the ISS remains one of the great privileges of my life,\u201d he wrote on social media. \u201cIt is proof that nations can work together in discipline, trust and shared purpose. Microgravity still surprises us. That\u2019s part of exploration.\u201d<\/p>\n

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