Zena Cardman

Zena Cardman is a NASA astronaut who was part of the Crew-11 mission to the International Space Station (ISS). She recently returned to Earth earlier than planned due to a medical emergency involving another astronaut, Mike Fincke. The mission was cut short by about a month, marking the first medical evacuation in the history of the ISS. The crew, including Cardman, Fincke, Kimiya Yui (Japan), and Oleg Platonov (Russia), splashed down off the coast of California in a SpaceX Dragon capsule. The specific medical issue that prompted the evacuation was initially undisclosed but later revealed to be related to Fincke's sudden inability to speak. Cardman's return is newsworthy as it highlights the challenges and risks associated with long-duration space missions and the importance of medical capabilities on the ISS.