In an unprecedented event for modern space exploration, four International Space Station (ISS) crew members embarked on an early return flight to Earth on Wednesday due to a confidential medical condition involving one of the astronauts on board.
NASA has announced its decision to return the agency’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission to Earth earlier than originally planned. This decision comes as teams monitor a medical issue involving a crew member who is currently stable and living aboard the orbital laboratory.
The Crew Dragon capsule carrying two American NASA astronauts, including a Japanese crew member and a Russian cosmonaut, detached from the space station and began descending from orbit at approximately 5:20 PM (2220 GMT). They were headed for a splash in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California early Thursday.
Live video from a NASA webcast of the departure showed the capsule detaching from the ISS and drifting away from the laboratory into orbit as the two vehicles flew about 258 miles (418 kilometers) above Earth, south of Australia.
NASA’s previous plans to bring all four members of Crew-11 home a week earlier than planned were announced on January 8. According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, astronauts have suffered a “serious medical condition” that requires immediate emergency response on site.
According to ReutersNASA Chief Health and Medical Officer James Polk later shed light on the current situation, stating that it is not a medical emergency and there has been no evidence of any injuries sustained during the conduct of operations.
Crew-11’s early return will not affect the timeline for the Artemis II moon mission; Meanwhile, a replacement is expected to launch in mid-February with four more astronauts.
During this time, the space station will remain occupied by NASA astronaut Christopher Williams and two cosmonauts who flew to the ISS aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft in November.
From the perspective of NASA officials, it was riskier to leave the astronaut in space without proper medical attention than to temporarily reduce the size of the space station’s crew.
We will have to wait for SpaceX to deliver another crew, and the station will have to withdraw from all routine or even emergency spacewalks.
The medical evaluation was the most important decision made by NASA’s new administrator, Jared Isaacman. Announcing the decision last week, he said: “The health and well-being of our astronauts has always been and will be our top priority.”
