Zena Cardman

Zena Cardman is a NASA astronaut who was part of the Crew-11 mission to the International Space Station (ISS). This mission, which launched on August 1, 2026, was scheduled to last approximately six months. However, the mission was cut short due to a "serious" but undisclosed medical issue affecting one of the four crew members. As a result, NASA made the decision to enact its first-ever medical evacuation from the ISS. Cardman, along with fellow astronauts Mike Fincke (NASA), Kimiya Yui (JAXA), and cosmonaut Oleg Platonov (Roscosmos), returned to Earth aboard the SpaceX Dragon Endeavour capsule, splashing down off the coast of California on January 15, 2026. The early return and medical evacuation highlight the challenges and risks associated with long-duration space missions and the importance of medical resources and contingency plans in space.