‘Severe medical issue’ leads NASA to return ISS crew ahead of schedule.

      This marks the first occurrence in NASA's history where an astronaut mission has been ended prematurely under such circumstances.

      NASA has taken the unusual step of abbreviating a crewed mission to the ISS. An unnamed astronaut is experiencing a medical issue, prompting NASA to prepare for the return of SpaceX's Crew-11 in the upcoming days, as announced during a press conference on Thursday.

      The decision was made following the announcement on Wednesday that NASA had canceled a scheduled spacewalk for early Thursday due to "a medical situation aboard the International Space Station involving a single crew member who is stable."

      Jared Isaacman, the newly appointed NASA chief, stated at the press conference that he was responsible for the choice to return the crew early, describing the situation as a "serious medical condition."

      The spacewalk was supposed to involve NASA astronauts Mike Fincke and Zena Cardman.

      Crew-11, which includes Fincke, Cardman, Japan's Kimiya Yui, and Russia's Oleg Platonov, reached orbit in August 2025 and was set to return to Earth in late February.

      While astronaut missions have at times extended beyond expectations or have been shortened due to technical problems, the adjustment of Crew-11 signifies the first time in NASA's history that an astronaut mission has been curtailed in such a manner.

      During the Thursday press conference, Dr. James Polk, NASA's chief health and medical officer, explained that while ISS astronauts have access to "a very robust suite of medical hardware, we lack the complete array of equipment that I would have in an emergency department, for instance, to conduct a thorough evaluation of a patient."

      Polk added: "In this particular case, we would prefer to complete that evaluation, and the best way to do so is on the ground."

      The early return of the Crew-11 astronauts will leave Chris Williams as the sole NASA astronaut on the orbital station. Williams arrived at the ISS just over a month ago alongside cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikayev aboard a Russian Soyuz capsule. They are scheduled to be joined by four additional astronauts from SpaceX's Crew-12 in mid-February.

      Not long ago, Trevor transitioned from one tea-drinking island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan).

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      Despite the limited visibility for mission controllers, fog is seldom an issue for rocket launches. SpaceX streams every single one of its rocket launches, most of which involve the Falcon 9 vehicle. The majority of Falcon 9 launches occur from Florida’s Space Coast, though the company also utilizes Vandenberg Space Force Base in California for select missions.

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      The first episode can be viewed for free on NASA's website.

      With NASA’s first lunar launch in five decades potentially just months away, the space agency has released the first episode of a new series that delves into the eagerly awaited mission. "Moonbound - Charting the Course" runs for 22 minutes and provides an in-depth look at the preparations for the 10-day Artemis II flight, which will involve four astronauts flying around the moon and returning.