Overview
- The Crew‑11 quartet—Mike Fincke, Zena Cardman, Oleg Platonov and Kimiya Yui—departed the station Wednesday at 22:05 GMT and are slated to splash down off California around 08:40 GMT Thursday.
- Officials emphasized the flight is not an emergency return and said the affected astronaut remains stable, with identity and medical details withheld.
- NASA’s chief medical officer cited a persistent risk and uncertainty in diagnosis as the rationale, following a previously postponed spacewalk tied to the issue.
- This marks the first premature multi‑member return from the ISS, executed aboard SpaceX’s Dragon capsule.
- With Crew‑11 headed home, the station continues operations with one NASA astronaut and two Roscosmos cosmonauts, and NASA is considering launching Crew‑12, which includes ESA’s Sophie Adenot, earlier than planned.