Crew‑11 lands early after sick astronaut forces return

On January 15 2026, the SpaceX Dragon capsule carrying NASA’s Crew‑11 touched down 12:41 a.m. PT on the Pacific, 10 miles off San Diego, California. The four‑person team—American astronauts Mike Fincke and Zena Cardman, Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov—ended their 168‑day stay on the International Space Station early after NASA, citing medical concerns, cancelled the planned late‑February departure. Administrator Jared Isaacman announced the decision on Jan 8, following a doctor’s assessment that the ill crew member was stable. The crew departed the ISS at 5:20 p.m. ET on Jan 14 and entered Earth’s atmosphere on schedule, completing an 11th commercial crew rotation, landing safely in the Pacific.