Zena Cardman

Zena Cardman is a NASA astronaut who was part of Crew-11, a four-person team launched to the International Space Station (ISS) on August 1, 2026, for a planned six-month mission. Cardman, along with NASA astronaut Mike Fincke, Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov, recently returned to Earth earlier than expected. This early return was prompted by a "serious" but undisclosed medical issue affecting one of the crew members. NASA canceled a planned spacewalk and initiated its first-ever medical evacuation from the ISS. The crew splashed down off the coast of California in a SpaceX Dragon capsule after an 11-hour journey. The use of a portable ultrasound machine on the ISS was highlighted as critical during the medical situation. Cardman's return is newsworthy as it marks a rare and unprecedented event in space exploration, highlighting the challenges and risks associated with long-duration space missions and the importance of on-board medical capabilities.