ISS astronaut medical evacuation latest news: New commander to take charge soon
SOURCE:Space.com|BY: Tariq Malik
NASA is returning four astronauts to Earth early from the International Space Station due to a medical concern with one of the Crew-11 astronauts. Here's the latest news.
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2026-01-11T22:28:51.915Z
SpaceX splashdown options for Crew-11 astronauts
2026-01-11T19:58:16.092Z
SpaceX details 11-hour return to Earth for Crew-11 astronauts
"After performing a series of departure burns to move away from the space station, Dragon will conduct multiple orbit-lowering maneuvers, jettison the trunk, and re-enter Earth’s atmosphere for splashdown off the coast of California approximately 11 hours later on Thursday, January 15," SpaceX wrote in an updated mission overview. Splashdown is currently scheduled for 3:40 a.m. EST (0740 GMT) off the southern coast of California.
2026-01-11T17:25:26.271Z
NASA, SpaceX: Weather looks favorable for Crew-11 return
2026-01-11T15:24:56.269Z
New commander to take charge soon
The seven-member Expedition 74 crew poses for a festive portrait aboard the International Space Station's Kibo laboratory module. In the front row, from left, are Kimiya Yui of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), Mike Fincke of NASA, and Sergey Kud-Sverchkov of Roscosmos. In the back are, Zena Cardman of NASA, Oleg Platonov of Roscosmos, Chris Williams of NASA, and Sergei Mikaev of Roscosmos. (Image credit: NASA)
We begin today with news that NASA and its international partners have arranged for an accelerated change of command ceremony on the ISS. That ceremony, which was to occur many weeks from now, will now occur on Monday, Jan. 12, at 2:35 p.m. EST (1835 GMT). You'll be able to watch it live on Space.com, courtesy of NASA. Joining Fincke on the trip to Earth will be Crew-11 commander Zena Cardman of NASA and mission specialists Kimiya Yui of Japan and Oleg Platonaov of Russia. NASA called for their early return after a medical issue arose with one of the four on Jan. 7.
So why does this command change involve the Crew-11 medical evacuation? It's because the current commander of the International Space Station's joint Expedition 74 mission is Crew-11 pilot Mike Fincke, a veteran ISS astronaut who will now return to Earth early.
Fincke will hand over control of the ISS to Russian cosmonaut Sergey Kud-Sverchkov, who arrived at the station in November with fellow cosmonaut Sergei Mikaev and NASA astronaut Chris Williams.
2026-01-10T22:39:44.174Z
How to watch Crew-11's medical evac from ISS
2026-01-10T20:36:19.482Z
Japan's Crew-11 astronaut takes photo farewell of ISS
(Image credit: NASA/JAXA)
Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui is saying some farewells to the Japan-built section of the International Space Station as he and his Crew-11 crewmates prepare for their medical evacuation from the orbiting lab on Jan. 14.
Yui shared a photo on Friday that he took from a window on the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo module, the largest science laboratory on the space station, showing the module's airlock and experiment platform. The space station's main truss and two giant solar arrays can be seen, as well as the blue arc of the Earth below.
"Today was a very busy day as well, so I was working quite late.," Yui wrote. "I hadn't taken the photos to introduce to everyone, so I just shot them from the window of 'Kibo' a little while ago. Since I'll soon have to bid farewell to this view as well, I want to burn it firmly into my eyes, and even more so, into my heart."
Yui is on his second trip to the ISS with the Crew-11 mission. He's been taking spectacular photos of Earth and space from the station, as well as videos like the one here shared by Space.com writer Anthony Wood:
Yui will return to Earh on Jan. 15 in the wee hours of the morning with Crew-11 crewmates Mike Fincke, Zena Cardman (both of NASA) and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platanov, with their SpaceX Dragon capsule splashing down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California.
2026-01-10T18:54:59.599Z
Crew-11 early return will leave skeleton crew on ISS
2026-01-10T17:20:37.320Z
NASA Timeline revealed for Crew-11 medical evacuation
Wednesday, Jan. 14 - all times in EST
3 p.m. - Hatch closure coverage begins on NASA TV and streaming platforms
3:30 p.m. - SpaceX Dragon hatch and ISS hatch closed for undocking
There will be a break here between hatch closure coverage and undocking views.
4:45 p.m. - Undocking coverage begins
5 p.m. - Undocking and initial ISS departure
There will be a break here in coverage between undocking and landing.
Thursday, Jan. 15 - all times in EST
2:15 a.m - Landing coverage begins on NASA TV and streaming platforms
2:50 a.m. - Dragon Deorbit burn
3:40 a.m. - Splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off California coast
5:45 a.m. - Post-landing return to Earth press conference
This current timeline could change as NASA and SpaceX monitor weather at the splashdown site.
"Mission managers continue monitoring conditions in the recovery area, as undocking of the SpaceX Dragon depends on spacecraft readiness, recovery team readiness, weather, sea states, and other factors," NASA wrote in an update. "NASA and SpaceX will select a specific splashdown time and location closer to the Crew-11 spacecraft undocking."
2026-01-10T12:48:22.143Z
SpaceX prepares for Crew-11 medical evacuation
(Image credit: NASA)
SpaceX says it's Dragon spacecraft at the International Space Station is ready to return its four Crew-11 astronauts home in an unprecedented medical evacuation on Jan. 14 and 15.
"Dragon and Crew-11 are targeted t undock from the space station no earlier than Wednesday, January 14," SpaceX wrote in a mission update on X late yesterday.
Dragon and Crew-11 are targeted to undock from the space station no earlier than Wednesday, January 14 https://t.co/L6ThXkTHbaJanuary 10, 2026
The SpaceX statement came on the heels of NASA's announcement that the Crew-11 astronauts were scheduled to undock from the space station on Jan. 14 and splashdown off the coast of California early on Jan. 15.
Splashdown is now set for 3:40 a.m. EST (0740 GMT) on Thursday, Jan. 15, NASA officials said.
The Crew-11 Dragon spacecraft will return NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke to Earth alongside Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platanov.
NASA decided to evacuate the crew, which make up four of the seven astronauts currently aboard the International Space Station, on Jan. 8 after an apparently serious medical concern arose with one of the four Crew-11 astronauts. The astronaut is stable, but NASA officials opted for a "controlled medical evacuation" in order to provide astronaut better treatment on the ground, NASA chief Jared Isaacman has said.
2026-01-10T02:30:28.863Z
NASA planning on Jan. 15 return of Crew-11 astronauts
Crew-11 astronauts will undock from the dorsal port of the ISS Harmony module aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour on Jan. 14. (Image credit: NASA)
The crew will deorbit aboard Endeavour, with splashdown expected early Jan. 15, off the coast of California, "depending on weather and recovery conditions," according to a post from the space station's account on X.
.@NASA and @SpaceX target undocking Crew-11 from the International Space Station no earlier than 5pm ET on Jan. 14, with splashdown off California targeted for early Jan. 15 depending on weather and recovery conditions. https://t.co/Y89iIj3jEYJanuary 10, 2026
2026-01-09T23:39:00.590Z
Next Crew-11 landing update tomorrow
2026-01-09T22:11:52.389Z
Crew-11 tests suits, begins packing for medical evac
(Image credit: NASA)
The Dragon pressure suits are the same black and white SpaceX spacesuits worn by Crew-11 astronauts Mike Fincke, Zena Cardman, Kimiya Yui and Oleg Platanov during their launch in August 2025. Cardman will command the Dragon flight home with Fincke as pilot. Kimuya and Platanov will serve as mission specialists.
The astronauts have also begun packing for their trip home.
"The foursome began collecting their personal items and packing them for stowage aboard the spacecraft," NASA wrote in the update.
Cardman spent time today flushing water from and powerfing down two NASA spacesuits on the ISS. She and Fincke were supposed to use the suits during a spacewalk on Jan. 8 and another one next week. Both spacewalks werte canceled due to the medical issue with one of the Crew-11 astronauts.
Yui and Platanov spent time on final science experiments of their mission, including one by Platanov studying how the inner lining of blood vessels work to keep blood flowing in space, in order to avoid the formation of blood clots.
2026-01-09T21:34:49.781Z
Astronaut medical issue not an injury, NASA says
2026-01-09T20:17:01.482Z
Not NASA's first medical issue in space
NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei is pictured attached to the outside of the International Space Station during a spacewalk on Oct. 10, 2017. In August 2020, Vande Hei and Japanese crewmate Akihiko Hoshide had their EVA called off due to a "minor medical issue." (Image credit: NASA)
While NASA's current astronaut medical issue on the International Space Station has led to the first-ever planned medical evacuation of a crew from the orbiting lab, it is far from the first time the space agency has had to deal with a medical concern in orbit.
Dr. James Polk, NASA's chief medical officer, told reporters late Thursday that medical issues we find common on Earth - like a toothache or other mild malady - are the same sort of things that have historically occurred with astronauts. The specific nature of the current issue, and the astronaut who experienced it, are being withheld for privacy reasons, he added.
Still, there is a record of medical concerns on the ISS, including ones that led to delays for spacewalks or other tasks.
In August 2020, NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei and his crewmate Akhiko Hoshide had their planned spacewalk called off days before the event due to a minor medical issue that remained undisclosed. And in 2008, European Space Agency astronaut Hans Schlegel was replaced on his ISS spacwalk by NASA astronaut Stanley Love due to a medical concern.
Chris Hadfield aboard the International Space Station. (Image credit: NASA)
Former Canadian Space Agency astronaut Chris Hadfield posted his thoughts regarding NASA's recent decision to fly Crew-11 astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) back to Earth due to an ongoing medical issue.
"Big decision by NASA leadership, with multiple domino impacts on operations, but I’m glad to see, as always, crew health and safety come first," Hadfield wrote on X.
Normally, NASA overlaps incoming and outgoing crews aboard the ISS, but with the possibility of evacuating Crew-11 before Crew-12's arrival, Hadfield voiced confidence. "The Station will be more vulnerable until the replacement crew of 4 can launch, but we have deep experience running the place with just 3 astronauts for a while," he wrote.
Former NASA astronaut Ed Lu also weighed in on X. "The afflicted space station astronaut ... is almost certainly feeling they have let down the crew. We were trained to get the mission done. But I do trust NASA to do the right thing here."
It's still unclear when exactly Crew-11 will depart the station, or when and if NASA will determine an earlier launch date for Crew-12.
For the first time in the 25-year history of the International Space Station, we’ve had a serious enough medical emergency in space to bring a crew home early. Big decision by @nasa leadership, with multiple domino impacts on operations, but I’m glad to see, as always, crew… pic.twitter.com/p3ObJh497DJanuary 8, 2026
2026-01-09T17:57:43.067Z
ISS astronaut evacuation won't affect Artemis 2 moon launch
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman discusses the astronaut medical evacuation plan with reporters at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 8, 2026. (Image credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky)
NASA's plan to rturn the four Crew-11 astronauts home early from the International Space Station and accelerate the launch of their replacement team, Crew-12, from Florida should not impact the agency's plans to also launch another crew of astronauts to the moon in February.
NASA chief Jared Isaacman said Thursday that NASA's Artemis 2 mission, which will launch four astronauts around the moon, will remain on track to launch in early February. The mission will lift off from the Kennedy Space Center, where SpaceX will also launch the Crew-12 astronauts. The Crew-11 astronauts will also have to splashdown off the Florida coast before then.
"These would be totally separate campaigns at this point," Isaacman said during a Jan. 8 press conference to provide an update on NASA's decision to end Crew-11 early. "There's no reason to believe at this point in time that there'd be any overlap that we have to deconflict for."
The crew of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 on the International Space Station. Clockwise from top left are: NASA's Mike Fincke, Zena Cardman, Russia's Oleg Platonov and Japan's Kimiya Yui. (Image credit: NASA)
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman announced his decision to bring the Crew-11 astronauts home early on their SpaceX Dragon capsule on Thursday (Jan. 8). The agency is now drawing up plans to both undock the Crew-11 Dragon and splashdown off the Florida coast early, while also accelerating the planned launch of a replacement crew on the SpaceX Crew-12 mission.
The departure of the Crew-11 astronauts will leave NASA astronaut Chris Williams and two cosmonauts, Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikayev, on their own on the ISS. Crew-11 launched to the ISS in August 2025, with Williams and crew launching on a Soyuz rocket in November.
Watch this space for more updates on this developing story.
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