NASA is considering an early return of the (ISS) crew due to an unspecified medical problem, just hours after canceling a planned spacewalk scheduled for Thursday.
NASA announced a delay on the International Space Station (ISS) just hours before two astronauts were scheduled to leave the orbiting laboratory, confirming a medical issue with a crew member that occurred Wednesday afternoon.
Meanwhile, the announcement came just four hours after NASA reported that the crew had completed preparations for the venture, formally known as Extravehicular Activity (EVA).
According to ReutersA NASA spokeswoman said the astronaut – whom she did not identify for medical privacy – was in a stable condition at the orbiting laboratory.
The spokeswoman said in a statement Wednesday evening: “The safe conduct of missions is our highest priority, and we are actively evaluating all options, including the possibility of an earlier end to Crew-11’s mission.”
The early return of the four-person Crew-11 would be an unusual outcome of a medical problem aboard the ISS, where astronauts typically live in six- to eight-month rotations with access to basic medical equipment and medications for certain types of emergencies.
The four-member Crew-11 consists of American astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov.
Spacewalks are challenging and demanding missions that require months of training, requiring large spacesuits and carefully coordinated instructions while remaining tethered to the ISS.
Nevertheless, the possible early return would be an unusual outcome for a medical problem, as astronauts usually live in rotations of six to eight months while the station is equipped with basic emergency medical facilities.
