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First ISS Medical Evacuation Brings Crew-11 Home to California Splashdown

The early return enables Earth-based diagnostics unavailable on the station.

CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES - JANUARY 15: (----EDITORIAL USE ONLY - MANDATORY CREDIT - 'NASA / BILL INGALLS / HANDOUT' - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS----) Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov (L), NASA astronauts Mike Fincke, Zena Cardman, and JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Kimiya Yui are seen inside the SpaceX Dragon Endeavour spacecraft onboard the SpaceX recovery ship SHANNON shortly after having landed in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Long Beach, California on January 15, 2026. Cardman, Fincke, Yui, Platonov returned after 167 days in space as part of Expedition 74 aboard the International Space Station. (Photo by NASA/Bill Ingalls/Anadolu via Getty Images)
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The International Space Station has gone from seven crew members down to a "skeleton crew" of three due to a recent medical evacuation.
© GCTC via NASA

Overview

  • SpaceX’s Crew Dragon Endeavour splashed down off San Diego at about 12:41 a.m. PT after a standard deorbit, parachute descent, and recovery.
  • NASA said all four astronauts are safe and were taken to a local hospital for overnight evaluation, with the affected crew member described as stable.
  • The mission ended roughly a month early after about 165–167 days in orbit, returning Zena Cardman, Mike Fincke, Kimiya Yui, and Oleg Platonov.
  • The station is temporarily operating with three crew members—NASA’s Christopher Williams and Russia’s Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergey Mikaev—with nonessential activities and routine spacewalks deferred.
  • Agency officials are evaluating whether to advance the planned mid‑February Crew‑12 launch to restore full staffing on the ISS.