Four astronauts are set to return from the International Space Station (ISS) more than a month ahead of schedule due to a medical issue affecting one crew member. NASA has not disclosed the specifics of the health concern, citing privacy policies. The agency confirmed that the affected astronaut is in stable condition and will not require special treatment during the journey back to Earth, according to Dr. James Polk, NASA’s chief health and medical officer.
Dr. Polk emphasized that while the ISS is equipped with a range of medical hardware, it lacks the full resources available in an emergency department. “We would like to complete that workup, and the best way to complete that workup is on the ground,” he stated during a press conference.
Early Return of Crew-11
The returning astronauts form NASA’s Crew-11 mission, which includes American crew members Mike Fincke and Zena Cardman, Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov. Originally, this mission was scheduled to conclude in mid-January 2024. Typically, NASA does not return a crew before another is ready to replace them, but this exceptional situation has prompted different measures.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, who has extensive experience with private SpaceX missions, made the decision to expedite the return. He noted that with four new crew members expected to launch to the ISS on NASA’s Crew-12 mission in the coming weeks, there would be adequate staffing to maintain operations.
“The Crew-11 team will depart the space station within days,” Isaacman stated.
Impact on Operations
NASA announced the medical concern on March 13, 2024, coinciding with a postponed spacewalk that was planned for that week. The agency reassured the public by stating that it has protocols in place to manage such situations effectively.
The early return of Crew-11 will leave only one NASA astronaut on the ISS—Chris Williams—who arrived at the space station in late November 2023 via a Russian Soyuz capsule. NASA officials expressed confidence in Williams’ ability to manage his responsibilities until the arrival of the Crew-12 astronauts.
“This is one of the reasons why we fly mixed crews on Soyuz and US vehicles—because we want to ensure we have operators for both segments of the space station,” said Amit Kshatriya, NASA’s associate administrator.
As NASA continues its preparations for the upcoming Crew-12 launch, the agency remains focused on maintaining safety and operational efficiency in the face of unexpected challenges in spaceflight.
