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2h ago

NASA Sets Jan. 14 Undocking for ISS Crew-11 in First Controlled Medical Evacuation

NASA says a stable crew member needs ground-based diagnostics, prompting a planned expedited return.

Long-exposure photograph from the International Space Station with a SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft visible in the lower foreground. Credit: NASA
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(Image Credit: JAXA/Kimiya Yui/NASA)
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Overview

  • Undocking is targeted for no earlier than 5 p.m. ET on Jan. 14, with a SpaceX Dragon splashdown off California expected around 3:40 a.m. ET on Jan. 15, pending conditions.
  • Officials emphasize this is a controlled expedited return rather than an emergency deorbit, and they are withholding the astronaut’s identity and medical details for privacy.
  • Crew member Mike Fincke said the team is stable, safe and well cared for, calling the early return “bittersweet,” and he plans to hand over station command to Sergey Kud-Sverchkov on Monday.
  • NASA canceled a Jan. 8 spacewalk after the medical concern arose, and the agency says the issue is unrelated to station operations or EVA procedures.
  • Station operations will continue with NASA’s Chris Williams and Russian colleagues onboard, and managers are evaluating whether to advance the Crew-12 launch to restore staffing sooner.