Mike Fincke

Mike Fincke is a 59-year-old NASA astronaut and a veteran of four spaceflights. He is currently newsworthy due to a medical incident that occurred on the International Space Station (ISS) in January 2026, which led to the first medical evacuation in the ISS's history. While preparing for a spacewalk, Fincke suddenly lost the ability to speak for approximately twenty minutes. The cause of this sudden speech loss remains a mystery to NASA doctors. This medical emergency prompted the early return of the entire Crew-11 mission, including astronauts Zena Cardman, Kimiya Yui, and Oleg Platonov. The crew splashed down off the coast of California on January 17, 2026. The incident highlights the challenges and risks associated with long-duration spaceflight and the importance of medical resources, such as the ultrasound machine, available on the ISS.