CAPE CANAVERAL Fla. Jan. 10 2026 For the first time in the International Space Station’s 25 year history NASA is executing a medical evacuation from orbit accelerating the return of SpaceX Crew 11 after a serious but undisclosed medical issue struck one of the astronauts onboard.
The move abruptly changes the rhythm of station life Instead of a routine end of mission departure Crew 11 is now packing running suit checks and preparing for an early descent because the kind of diagnosis and care the astronaut may need simply cannot be done on the ISS.
A mission cut short by necessity not schedule
NASA and SpaceX are targeting undocking no earlier than 5 p.m. ET on Wednesday Jan. 14 with splashdown planned for early Thursday Jan. 15 off the coast of California weather permitting.
NASA has not identified the affected astronaut or specified the condition citing medical privacy Officials have said the crew member is stable and coverage has characterized the situation as not an emergency dash but a cautious escalation to get the astronaut to Earth based care as quickly as practical.
Who is coming home
Crew 11 arrived at the station in August aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule The crew consists of
Zena Cardman Commander NASA
Mike Fincke NASA
Kimiya Yui JAXA
Oleg Platonov Roscosmos
The ISS will keep flying on a slimmer crew
When Crew 11 departs three crewmates will remain on the ISS to maintain operations until the next rotation with NASA noting that station work can continue with strong ground support.
What changed this week
The early return follows NASA’s decision to postpone a planned spacewalk while the agency assessed the medical situation and mapped the safest path home.
What happens next
NASA will continue readiness checks through the undocking window watching weather recovery conditions and spacecraft readiness before committing to the final go for departure.
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