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5h ago

NASA, SpaceX Set Jan. 14–15 Return for Crew-11 in First ISS Medical Evacuation

NASA says the expedited return is a controlled, nonemergency move to enable medical evaluation on Earth.

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(Image Credit: JAXA/Kimiya Yui/NASA)
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NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 astronauts sit within their Dragon spacecraft just before launch on Aug. 1, 2025, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.

Overview

  • Undocking is targeted no earlier than 5 p.m. ET on Jan. 14, with splashdown off California expected about 3:40 a.m. ET on Jan. 15, subject to weather and recovery readiness.
  • One Crew-11 member has a medical issue, is described as stable, and requires diagnostics not available on the ISS; NASA is withholding the astronaut’s identity for privacy.
  • Officials emphasize a controlled expedited return rather than an emergency deorbit, with standard Dragon recovery procedures and flight surgeons prepared.
  • NASA’s chief health and medical officer said the condition is unrelated to station operations or pre-spacewalk preparations.
  • NASA astronaut Chris Williams will remain aboard to maintain a U.S. presence as managers review whether to advance the Crew-12 launch to restore full staffing.