Name: NASA cutting current International Space Station mission short
Uploaded: 2026-01-09T15:07:35.806Z
Duration: 1 min 39 s
Description: Four crew members aboard the International Space Station will be brought home more than a month early in the coming days as NASA cuts its mission short due to health concerns.

Four crew members aboard the International Space Station will be brought home more than a month early in the coming days as NASA cuts its mission short due to health concerns.

NASA has decided to cut short the current International Space Station (ISS) mission after an astronaut developed a serious medical condition. The astronaut is reported to be stable, but NASA officials determined that remaining in space for several more weeks would not be in the astronaut's best interest due to the limited medical capabilities aboard the ISS.

A planned spacewalk was canceled, and the mission will end earlier than scheduled, with one American and two Russian crew members staying on the station. NASA noted that while this situation is rare, a similar early return occurred during a Soviet mission in 1985.

NASA cutting current International Space Station mission short

NASA says the ailing astronaut is stable, and while it's not currently an emergency, weeks more in space were not in the best interest of their health. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. This was a serious medical condition. That is why we're pursuing this path. The capability to diagnose and treat this properly does not live on the International Space Station. Wednesday afternoon, Japanese astronaut Kimia Yui radioed Mission Control for help. Do we have a crew center? Yes, we can then work. NASA canceled a planned spacewalk, and the live public audio stream from the International Space Station went silent. A day later, they decided to end the mission early. NASA's top doctor, James Polk. The crew is highly trained, and they came to the aid of their colleague right away. Astronauts are given medical training before they launch. Okay, oxygen is in flow now. We just can't sustain somebody sick for a really long period of time. Dr. Tom Marshburn served as both a NASA astronaut and a flight surgeon. Doctors have to weigh the risks of staying in space and coming back to Earth. There's a 4G pressure on the body as you reenter. There's about a 10 to 20 mile an hour equivalent impact when it hits the water, so all those risks have to be added up and put together to make the right decision on what to do. NASA says the crew had mostly completed their mission. One American and two Russians will remain on the International Space Station. And while NASA has never had a circumstance like this, it has happened once before, back in 1985 on a Soviet mission to space. Vlad? All right, Chris, thank you very much.

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