Astronaut Mike Fincke confirmed that he and his crewmates aboard the International Space Station (ISS) are in good health following a medical issue that prompted an early return to Earth. The decision, announced by NASA, marks the first time in the agency’s history that a mission has been cut short due to a medical concern among crew members. Fincke expressed gratitude for NASA’s commitment to crew safety and noted that he and his team are “stable, safe and well cared for.”
In a post on LinkedIn, Fincke, who serves as the commander of the ISS, stated that he, along with Crew 11 members Zena Cardman, Kimiya Yui, and Oleg Platonov, are all doing well, despite the bittersweet nature of their early return. He emphasized that the decision was necessary and appropriate, reflecting NASA’s prioritization of crew health.
The crew’s return is scheduled for February 7, 2024. If all goes as planned, they will undock from the ISS at approximately 5 p.m. EST on Wednesday. The Crew Dragon spacecraft will then initiate its deorbit burn at 2:50 a.m. on Thursday, leading to a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean at around 3:40 a.m. local time, off the coast of Southern California. Once the crew is safely aboard a SpaceX recovery ship, they will be flown by helicopter to shore, where a NASA plane will transport them to the Johnson Space Center in Houston.
Originally, Crew 11 was slated to return around February 20, 2024. However, a crew member reported a medical issue on February 2, leading NASA to expedite their return. While the astronaut involved has not been publicly identified, nor has the nature of the medical concern been disclosed, Fincke assured the public that the issue was not debilitating.
“This was a deliberate decision to allow the right medical evaluations to happen on the ground, where the full range of diagnostic capability exists,” Fincke wrote. A photo shared in his post showed Crew 11 preparing their pressure suits, reinforcing that the decision was made thoughtfully and with crew welfare at the forefront.
NASA’s Chief Medical Officer, James Polk, stated that statistical analyses indicate a medical evacuation should occur approximately every three years, yet no such incidents have taken place to date. He reiterated that this decision was made out of an abundance of caution for the crew member’s health.
As Crew 11 prepares for their departure, Fincke will officially turn over command of the ISS to cosmonaut Sergey Kud-Sverchkov during a ceremony on Monday afternoon. Fincke praised the efforts of NASA’s flight surgeons, engineers, and support teams, highlighting the unity and professionalism that facilitated this decision.
Once Crew 11 departs, Kud-Sverchkov and his Soyuz MS-28 crewmates, Sergey Mikaev and Chris Williams of NASA, will remain on the ISS until Crew 12 arrives. Currently, Crew 12, which includes Jessica Meir, Jack Hathaway, Sophie Adenot, and Andrey Fedyaev, is scheduled to launch on February 15, 2024. NASA is exploring options to advance that launch date if feasible.
Fincke concluded his message by expressing confidence in the crew members currently aboard the ISS: “We’re leaving the ISS in great hands. The three crewmates who arrived in November will continue the mission, and they’ll be joined by Crew 12 in just a few weeks.”