ISS Crew-11 returned to Earth early after an astronaut’s health issue. NASA said the decision was precautionary, not an emergency.
The crew of the International Space Station returned to Earth on Thursday after being forced to suspend their mission due to a health problem, in a first for the orbiting station.
American astronauts Mike Finke and Zeina Cardman, along with Russian Oleg Platonov and Japanese Kimiya Yui, landed in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California at 08:41 GMT aboard Elon Musk's SpaceX Dragon capsule , according to live footage broadcast by NASA.
NASA announced last week the evacuation of the Crew-11 mission crew from the International Space Station due to a health problem experienced by one of the astronauts.
NASA's chief medical officer, James Polk, explained that "ongoing risk" and "diagnostic uncertainty" were the reasons behind the decision to bring the crew back earlier than planned, stressing that it was not an emergency evacuation.
NASA has not released any information about the nature of the problem or the identity of the astronaut involved.
Rob Navias, an official at the US space agency, confirmed before the capsule's launch from the International Space Station on Wednesday that "one crew member is in stable condition."
The International Space Station orbits at an altitude of approximately 400 kilometers above the Earth's surface.
Mission commander Mike Finke wrote on LinkedIn this week: "We are all doing well. This was a well-considered decision to allow for the necessary medical examinations to be conducted on the ground, where all the diagnostic capabilities are available. It is the right decision."
The four members of the Crew-11 mission arrived at the orbiting station in August. They were scheduled to remain there until the next crew rotation, scheduled for mid-February.
NASA has therefore announced that the Crew-12 mission may launch ahead of schedule.
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