NASA announced the mission would be cut short on Jan. 8
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/international-space-station-082322-a31454b946e342dfa7a32c2e913ab73c.jpg "In this handout provided by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), back dropped by planet Earth the International Space Station (ISS) is seen from NASA space shuttle Endeavour after the station and shuttle began their post-undocking relative separation May 29, 2011 in space. After 20 years, 25 missions and more than 115 million miles in space, NASA space shuttle Endeavour is on the last leg of its final flight to the International Space Station before being retired and donated to the California Science Center in Los Angeles. Capt. Mark E. Kelly, U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords' (D-AZ) husband, has lead mission STS-134 as it delivered the Express Logistics Carrier-3 (ELC-3) and the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS-2) to the International Space Station.")
NEED TO KNOW
- A NASA SpaceX crew has begun their return from the International Space Station (ISS) after their mission was cut short due to “a medical concern” with one astronaut
- Crew-11 spent 165 days in space aboard the ISS, where they were conducting scientific research
- They're expected to splash down off the coast of San Diego on Thursday, Jan. 15, around 12:41 a.m. local time
A SpaceX crew is beginning their return to Earth after their mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS) w was cut short due to “a medical concern” with one of the astronauts.
The four astronauts on Crew-11 began their journey shortly after 5:20 p.m. EST on Wednesday, Jan. 14, when the undocking command was issued, according to NASA, which live-streamed their flight back. Separation was confirmed minutes later.
They are expected to splash down off the coast of San Diego on Thursday, Jan. 15, around 12:41 a.m. local time.
NASA previously announced they were bringing the team home "earlier than originally planned” on Jan. 8, citing the “medical concern with a crew member currently living and working aboard the orbital laboratory."
This is the first time a mission has been cut short in ISS history, according to The Washington Post.
The Crew-11 team spent 165 days aboard the ISS, where they were conducting scientific research, and were expected to stay until mid-February. They spent a total of 167 days in space.
The team includes U.S. astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Kimiya Yui and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov.
It remains unclear which astronaut is experiencing the "medical concern" and what kind of health issue they are dealing with.
In the minutes before launch, officials said on the live-stream broadcast that the crew member's health has been stable.
Dr. James Polk, NASA’s chief health and medical officer, said at a press conference on Jan. 8 that officials were “erring on the side of caution for the crew member” and made the decision to cut the mission short “in their best interest.”
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“This has nothing to do with the operational environment,” Polk said, adding that "this was not an injury that occurred in the pursuit of operations,” per the Post.
At the same press conference, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said the “health and the well-being of our astronauts is always and will be our highest priority.”
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