NASA’s Crew‑11 Returns Early to Earth for Medical Issue

NASA’s Crew‑11 began a premature return to Earth on Wednesday, ending a six‑month stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The decision followed an undisclosed medical condition affecting an unnamed crew member, marking the first time since ISS’s 25‑year history that a mission was cut short for a medical evacuation. Dr. James Polk, NASA’s chief health officer, highlighted that the ISS’s medical suite cannot fully replace ground‑based equipment, prompting the early launch of the Crew Dragon. The hatch closed at 3 p.m. ET, undocking followed at 5:05 p.m. ET, and the spacecraft splashed down at 3:41 a.m. ET Thursday. Remaining ISS crew – Sergei Mikaev, Sergey Kud‑Sverchkov and Chris Williams – will stay during the interim. Crew‑12 is slated to launch Feb. 15, and Artemis II, featuring Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen, will launch no earlier than Feb. 6.