Watch: Astronauts return to Earth after medical evacuation

BBC News - WorldCenterEN 1 min read 100% complete January 15, 2026 at 11:38 AM

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Four astronauts, including representatives from the US, Japan, and Russia, returned to Earth on Thursday after a shortened stay on the International Space Station (ISS). The crew, consisting of Mike Fincke, Zena Cardman, Kimiya Yui, and Oleg Platonov, splashed down off the coast of California in the Dragon Endeavour after an 11-hour journey. They had arrived at the ISS on August 1st and were originally scheduled for a six-and-a-half-month mission. Their return was expedited due to an undisclosed medical issue affecting one of the crew members. NASA has not released details about the illness, citing privacy concerns.

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Key Player Opposition Context

Japan 40% NASA 60% Dragon Endeavour 70% California 70% Mike Fincke 80% Zena Cardman 80% Kimiya Yui 80% Oleg Platonov 80% International Space Station ×290% Earth ×290%

Keywords

astronauts 100% international space station 90% medical evacuation 80% return to earth 70% illness 60% crew 11 50% dragon endeavour 40% space mission 40%

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BBC News - World

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This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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astronauts international space station medical evacuation return to earth illness crew 11 dragon endeavour space mission

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