NASA astronaut Mike Fincke, the commander of the International Space Station (ISS), announced on Sunday that he and his crewmates will return to Earth earlier than planned due to a medical issue affecting one crew member. In a post on LinkedIn, Fincke stated that he, along with Crew 11 commander Zena Cardman, Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov, are “stable, safe and well cared for.”
Fincke described NASA’s decision to expedite their return as “the right call, even if it’s a bit bittersweet.” The crew is set to undock from the ISS at approximately 17:00 EST on Wednesday, with a planned splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Southern California at 03:40 on Thursday. Upon their arrival, they will undergo medical assessments aboard a SpaceX recovery ship before being transported to shore by helicopter, where a NASA aircraft will be waiting to fly them back to the Johnson Space Center in Houston.
Originally, Crew 11 was scheduled to return to Earth around February 20, 2024. However, this change was announced after a crew member reported a medical issue on Friday. The specific individual and the nature of the concern have not been disclosed due to long-standing medical privacy guidelines. Nonetheless, Fincke’s post, which included a photo of the crew preparing their pressure suits, suggested that the issue was not debilitating.
“This was a deliberate decision to allow the right medical evaluations to happen on the ground, where the full range of diagnostic capability exists,” Fincke explained. He emphasized that the decision was made “calmly and carefully, with people at the center.”
First Early Return in NASA History
The early return of Crew 11 marks a significant moment in NASA history, as it is the first instance where a mission has been cut short due to a medical issue. James Polk, NASA’s chief medical officer, noted that statistical analyses indicate a medical evacuation should occur approximately every three years, yet this is the first such event to take place. “Even in this case, we’re erring on the side of caution,” Polk stated, underscoring the priority of the crew member’s health.
Fincke is scheduled to formally transfer command of the ISS to cosmonaut Sergey Kud-Sverchkov during a brief ceremony on Monday afternoon. In his LinkedIn post, he expressed gratitude for the professionalism of NASA’s teams. “What stands out most to me is how clearly NASA cares about its people,” he remarked, acknowledging the collaborative spirit among flight surgeons, engineers, and support teams from around the world.
Future Missions and Crew Dynamics
As Crew 11 prepares to depart, Kud-Sverchkov and his Soyuz MS-28 colleagues, Sergey Mikaev and NASA astronaut Chris Williams, will remain aboard the ISS until Crew 12 arrives. Currently, Crew 12, which includes commander Jessica Meir, Jack Hathaway, European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot, and cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev, is scheduled for launch on February 15, 2024. NASA is exploring the possibility of moving this date forward to facilitate a smooth transition.
Fincke concluded his message with an optimistic note, stating, “We’re leaving the ISS in great hands.” He expressed confidence in the remaining crew’s ability to continue the mission successfully until Crew 12 joins them in the coming weeks.
