Archive · 10 Jan 2026
NASA Plans First Medical Evacuation from ISS
An astronaut on the International Space Station (ISS) is sick, and NASA is planning to bring them back to Earth early.
This is the first time NASA has cut short a mission because of an astronaut's health.
The astronaut is part of the Crew-11 mission, which was supposed to last six months but will now return early.
NASA won't say who the astronaut is or what's wrong with them, but they say the astronaut is stable.
The ISS will have fewer people on board until the next crew arrives.
NASA and SpaceX are also looking at ways to launch the next crew sooner than planned.
The crew is expected to undock on January 14 and splash down off the coast of California on January 15.
NASA is planning the first-ever medical evacuation of an astronaut from the ISS due to an undisclosed ailment.
The astronaut is part of the Crew-11 mission, which launched in August 2024 and was supposed to last six months.
The mission will be cut short by over a month, with the crew returning in early January 2025.
NASA has not disclosed the name of the astronaut or the specific medical condition, citing privacy reasons.
The ISS will have two Russian cosmonauts and one NASA astronaut, Christopher Williams, until the next crew, Crew-12, arrives.
- Who
- An unnamed astronaut from the Crew-11 mission, including NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, JAXA's Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov
- What
- A medical evacuation from the International Space Station (ISS) due to an undisclosed ailment
- When
- In the coming days, cutting the mission short by over a month
- Where
- International Space Station (ISS)
- Why
- The astronaut's condition requires medical attention that cannot be provided on the ISS
- Astronaut Status
- Stable
- Mission Name
- Crew-11
- Launch Date
- August 2024
- Planned Duration
- 6 months
- Expected Return Date
- Early January 2025
- Next Mission
- Crew-12
- Next Mission Launch Date
- February 15, 2025 (earliest)
- Undocking Date
- January 14, 2025
- Splashdown Location
- Off the coast of California
- Splashdown Time
- Approximately 3:40 am on January 15, 2025
Sources
Astronaut on ISS ill, NASA plans first-ever medical evacuation from space
NASA, SpaceX set target date for Crew-11’s return to earth
NASA's first-ever medical evacuation: SpaceX Dragon to bring back Crew-11 from ISS on Jan 14 — what we know so far
NASA plans early Crew-11 undocking after ISS medical emergency, first such evacuation
NASA Says Targeting Space Station Medical Evacuation For January 14
NASA, SpaceX Set January 15 As Target Date For Crew-11’s Return To Earth Amid Astronaut Medical Emergency
