NASA orders first-ever medical evacuation of SpaceX Crew-11 – here's why

NASA has announced that it will return the SpaceX Crew-11 mission to Earth earlier than planned after a medical concern was flagged for one of its crew members.

The space agency revealed the decision on Friday (9 January), marking the first time in NASA's 25-year history that a crew has been brought back early for medical reasons.

NASA has not disclosed the crew member’s identity or the severity of the issue, citing medical privacy, but confirmed they are in a stable condition.

While stressing that it is "not an emergency evacuation," an official said the agency "always err on the side of the astronaut's health".

"After discussions with chief health and medical officer Dr JD Polk and leadership across the agency, I’ve come to the decision that it’s in the best interest of our astronauts to return Crew-11 ahead of their planned departure," NASA administrator Jared Isaacman said in a briefing.

SpaceX

The Crew-11 team leaving the ISS includes NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov. They arrived in early August and were originally expected to remain in orbit until late February.

"Mission managers continue monitoring conditions in the recovery area, as undocking of the SpaceX Dragon depends on spacecraft readiness, recovery team readiness, weather, sea states, and other factors," a NASA update read. "NASA and SpaceX will select a specific splashdown time and location closer to the Crew-11 spacecraft undocking".

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