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6d ago

Crew-11 Details NASA’s First Medical Evacuation From ISS, Credits Ultrasound in Managing Crisis

NASA has paused spacewalks until Crew‑12 arrives, with the launch target under review for an earlier date.

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This photo provided by NASA shows clockwise from bottom left are, NASA astronaut Mike Fincke, Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov, NASA astronaut Zena Cardman, and JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Kimiya Yui gathering for a crew portrait wearing their Dragon pressure suits during a suit verification check inside the International Space Station’s Kibo laboratory module, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (NASA via AP)
A NASA astronaut has revealed a tantalizing clue about what went down during the first medical evacuation in the space station's history.
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Overview

  • An unidentified Crew‑11 astronaut developed a medical problem on Jan. 7, prompting NASA to cancel a planned spacewalk and order a controlled early return while preserving medical privacy.
  • SpaceX’s Dragon Endeavour undocked Jan. 14 and splashed down near San Diego Jan. 15 using standard procedures, after which the crew spent the night at a local hospital and then returned to Johnson Space Center.
  • At their first post‑flight briefing, astronauts said the ISS portable ultrasound proved crucial for in‑orbit assessment and urged that such devices be standard on future missions given diagnostic limits in space.
  • ISS operations continue with a reduced crew, and NASA says no spacewalks can be performed until the next crew arrives; NASA’s Chris Williams and two Russian crewmates are maintaining experiments and systems.
  • NASA and SpaceX are working to advance the mid‑February Crew‑12 launch to restore full staffing, while officials emphasized the return was controlled, the condition was stabilized, and routine recovery medical support was in place.