A scheduled mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS) has been abruptly shortened after a crew member experienced a medical issue, prompting NASA to cancel a planned spacewalk and arrange an early return to Earth.
Crew to Return Ahead of Schedule
NASA confirmed on Thursday that the four-person US-Japanese-Russian crew will be coming back to our planet in the coming days, earlier than originally planned. The space agency emphasised this is not an emergency evacuation but a precautionary measure. "It’s not an emergency evacuation, but we are erring on the side of caution for the crew member," stated Dr James Polk, NASA’s chief health and medical officer. The affected astronaut, whose identity and specific condition were withheld for privacy reasons, is now reported to be in a stable condition.
Mission Details and Impacted Activities
The crew, which arrived at the orbiting laboratory in August aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft for a planned six-month stay, consists of NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov. This was the first spaceflight for both Cardman and Platonov, while Fincke was on his fourth visit and Yui his second.
The medical issue led directly to the cancellation of the year's first planned spacewalk, which was to be conducted by Fincke and Cardman. Their task was to undertake preparatory work for the future installation of new solar arrays designed to boost the space station's power supply.
Remaining ISS Operations and Future Plans
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman expressed pride in the agency's swift response, saying, "I’m proud of the swift effort across the agency thus far to ensure the safety of our astronauts." Meanwhile, operations on the ISS continue with three other crew members present: NASA's Chris Williams and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergei Mikayev and Sergei Kud-Sverchkov, who launched in November for an eight-month stint and are due to return in the summer.
In related long-term planning, NASA has contracted SpaceX to develop a vehicle that will safely deorbit the ISS at the end of its operational life, currently slated for late 2030 or early 2031, with plans for a controlled re-entry over an ocean area.
