Particle.news
Download on the App Store

NASA Orders First Controlled ISS Medical Evacuation as Crew-11 Heads Home Within Days

NASA calls the return precautionary to allow a full medical workup on Earth.

Overview

  • Crew-11—Zena Cardman, Mike Fincke, Kimiya Yui and Oleg Platonov—will depart the station on SpaceX’s Dragon Endeavour after launching to the ISS on August 1, 2025.
  • The astronaut at the center of the medical concern remains stable and unidentified, with NASA withholding details under medical privacy rules.
  • Officials said this is not an emergency; splashdown will follow a nominal recovery plan at routine sites, marking the ISS program’s first controlled medical evacuation.
  • The Jan. 8 spacewalk by Fincke and Cardman was postponed, and NASA later took live ISS video feeds offline as a precaution, according to NASASpaceFlight.com.
  • NASA is assessing adjustments to station staffing, with astronaut Chris Williams remaining on orbit and options under review to accelerate the Crew-12 launch.