UPDATE: A medical emergency aboard the International Space Station has led NASA to consider an early end to the Crew-11 mission. The situation, reported Wednesday, has already resulted in the postponement of a planned spacewalk, raising concerns about the crew’s safety and mission timelines.
NASA officials confirm that one crew member is currently stable, but they are actively evaluating all options, including a possible early return to Earth. “Safely conducting our missions is our highest priority, and we are actively evaluating all options,” NASA stated on its website. “We will provide further updates within the next 24 hours.”
The medical situation was first announced on Wednesday afternoon, prompting immediate action from the space agency. Due to privacy concerns, NASA has not disclosed additional details about the affected crew member, highlighting the sensitivity of the case.
Crew-11, which includes NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, as well as Kimiya Yui from JAXA and Oleg Platonov from Roscosmos, was initially scheduled to remain aboard the ISS until the arrival of Crew-12, expected no earlier than February 15, 2025. However, NASA has a history of adjusting timelines based on crew needs and safety.
The postponed spacewalk was set to involve veteran astronaut Mike Fincke, who is on his fourth space mission, and flight engineer Zena Cardman, making her first journey into space. The team launched from Kennedy Space Center on August 1, 2024.
The ISS currently hosts three additional crew members: NASA’s Chris Williams and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergey Mikaev, who arrived in November via a Soyuz spacecraft.
As NASA navigates this evolving situation, the urgency surrounding Crew-11’s mission underscores the unpredictable nature of space travel. The agency is committed to ensuring the safety of its astronauts while maintaining operational integrity.
Stay tuned for more updates on this developing story as NASA continues to assess the situation and the potential implications for Crew-11’s timeline.
