Name: Astronaut in good spirits after ISS return for unknown medical issue
Uploaded: 2026-01-16T01:43:46.293Z
Duration: 2 min 10 s
Description: Four space station fliers undocked and plunged back to Earth, safely splashing down in the Pacific Ocean off the Southern California coast six days after NASA ordered them home early because of an unspecified medical issue. Mark Strassmann has details.

Four space station fliers undocked and plunged back to Earth, safely splashing down in the Pacific Ocean off the Southern California coast six days after NASA ordered them home early because of an unspecified medical issue. Mark Strassmann has details.

Washington

A U.S. astronaut was brought back to Earth from the International Space Station earlier than planned due to an unspecified medical issue, marking the first such early return for the U.S. space program. The entire four-person crew, which included two Americans, a Japanese, and a Russian astronaut, landed safely in the Pacific Ocean in a SpaceX capsule, about a month ahead of their original schedule.

NASA officials stated that the medical issue was significant enough to warrant shortening the mission but confirmed the astronaut is currently in good spirits and does not require emergency care. After splashdown, the crew was taken directly to a San Diego hospital for overnight evaluation, and all are expected to return to Houston soon.

Astronaut in "good spirits" after ISS return for unknown medical issue

A first today for the U.S. space program, an astronaut returned to Earth early because of a medical issue, along with the rest of his crew. All four of those who boarded the International Space Station back in August splashed down safely in the Pacific this morning in a SpaceX capsule, all a month ahead of schedule. Here's Mark Strassman. This is Crew 11 reentering after 167 days. Suddenly, there it was, a SpaceX capsule streaking towards splashdown near predawn San Diego. From this capsule, looking like a charred marshmallow, someone in this returning crew of four is grappling with an unknown medical issue. It's too significant to risk staying longer in space. In a first, NASA lopped weeks off the space station mission to evacuate the astronaut. It was a serious situation. The astronaut in question is fine right now, good spirits. On board, two Americans, a Japanese and a Russian. Undocking confirmed. The astronauts pushed off the ISS last night to begin a roughly 10-hour return trip. But its origin goes back a full week, when the ISS crew radioed Houston for help. Do we have a crew session? Yes, we'll get that in work. All astronauts learn basic medical skills. Some astronauts, but not most, are also physicians by training. But this issue apparently went beyond on-board triage and equipment. And in a break with splashdown protocol, the returning crew choppered straight to a San Diego area hospital for overnight testing and evaluation. They would probably have told you that it's bittersweet coming home. Astronauts really enjoy being in space right now, but I think they should take comfort in the fact they executed extraordinarily well on an unexpected situation. A little more insight now, Tony. That capsule was never a space ambulance, because while the issue is serious, NASA says the affected astronaut does not need emergency care. And all the crew is expected to leave that San Diego hospital tomorrow and head home to Houston.

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