NASA May Return Early From International Space Station After Medical Issue

New York Times - WorldCenter-LeftEN 2 min read 100% complete by Amanda HolpuchJanuary 8, 2026 at 06:06 PM

AI Summary

medium article 2 min

NASA is considering an early return for the Crew-11 mission from the International Space Station (ISS) due to an undisclosed medical issue affecting one of the four astronauts. The mission, which launched on August 1st and includes astronauts from the U.S., Japan, and Russia, was originally scheduled for a six-month stay. NASA postponed a planned spacewalk involving Michael Fincke and Zena Cardman due to the medical concern. While the agency states the affected astronaut is stable, NASA is evaluating all options, prioritizing crew safety. The Crew-11 astronauts are participating in studies on how deep space travel affects the human body. Three other astronauts are currently on the ISS and scheduled to return separately in the summer.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Sergey Kud-Sverchkov 30% Chris Williams 30% Japan 40% Russia ×240% Kimiya Yui ×250% Oleg Platonov ×250% Michael Fincke ×260% Zena Cardman ×260% SpaceX ×270% Crew-11 ×380% International Space Station ×690% NASA ×10100%

Keywords

international space station 100% medical issue 90% nasa 80% crew-11 70% early return 60% spacewalk 60% space mission 50% astronaut health 50% spacex 40%