NASA has announced that SpaceX Crew-11, the four-person team aboard the International Space Station (ISS), will return to Earth earlier than originally scheduled due to a medical issue affecting one of the crew members. The decision was made in consultation with medical teams and mission leadership after the health concern emerged on January 7–8, 2026. NASA has described the situation as serious but stable.
The affected astronaut’s specific condition and identity have not been disclosed, a standard practice reflecting medical privacy protocols. NASA officials say that while the crew and ISS have medical equipment and training to manage many conditions in orbit, ground-based medical facilities offer a broader scope of diagnostic and treatment options not available in space.
As a result of the health concern, NASA canceled a planned spacewalk (also known as an extravehicular activity, or EVA) that had been scheduled for January 8, 2026. The spacewalk was intended to prepare the ISS for future upgrades to its power system.
Crew-11 was originally expected to remain on the ISS into mid-February 2026 as part of a typical six-to-eight-month expedition. The early return means that the mission will conclude more than a month sooner than planned.
ISS operations will continue with other astronauts onboard, and NASA is evaluating whether to adjust the launch schedule for the next crew rotation, Crew-12, which was slated for February 15, 2026.
The Crew-11 team launched on August 1, 2025, aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft from the Kennedy Space Center. The four members include:
Zena Cardman, mission commander (NASA)
Mike Fincke, pilot (NASA)
Kimiya Yui, astronaut (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA)
Oleg Platonov, cosmonaut (Roscosmos)
Together they have been living and working aboard the station, conducting scientific research and maintenance tasks essential for ISS operations.
Astronauts on the ISS undergo rigorous pre-flight health screening and training to handle a range of medical and operational scenarios. The station itself is equipped with medical hardware, basic pharmaceuticals, and systems that allow the crew to communicate directly with ground-based flight surgeons and specialists.
However, many advanced medical evaluations and treatments—such as imaging, laboratory diagnostics, or specialized interventions—are only possible on Earth. In this case, NASA leaders determined that the best course of action for the affected crew member’s health was to return to Earth for comprehensive evaluation and care.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman emphasized that astronaut safety and well-being remain the agency’s highest priorities in all human spaceflight operations.
NASA’s decision to return the Crew-11 team early marks a rare occurrence in the ISS program’s 25-year history and reflects the challenges of managing human health in space.
(Rh/TL/MSM)
