Overview
- The agency announced the decision on Thursday following a midweek medical problem involving one member of Crew-11 aboard the station.
- NASA postponed a Thursday spacewalk that was to install hardware and cabling outside the ISS as mission plans were reassessed.
- Crew-11 consists of Mike Fincke, Zena Cardman, Kimiya Yui, and Oleg Platonov, who launched aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon in early August 2025.
- The mission was already in its final phase, so returning ahead of schedule will only modestly shorten the planned six-month stay.
- NASA has not identified the astronaut or disclosed the nature of the condition, and three additional crew members, including U.S. astronaut Christopher Williams and two Russian cosmonauts, remain on board.