NASA has decided to shorten a mission on the International Space Station following a medical emergency involving one of the astronauts. The U.S.-Japanese-Russian crew of four will be returning to Earth sooner than planned due to this incident.
The spacewalk scheduled for this year was canceled by NASA due to the health concern. The specific astronaut and medical condition have not been disclosed to respect the individual’s privacy, but the crew member is reported to be in stable condition.
At present, seven astronauts are residing and working on the space station. The most recent crew arrived in August after launching from Florida. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman commended the agency’s prompt actions in ensuring the safety of the astronauts during a news conference on Thursday.
The returning crew arrived at the space station in August via SpaceX for a stay of at least six months. The team comprised U.S. astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov. Fincke, on his fourth visit to the station, and Yui, on his second, were meant to conduct a spacewalk to prepare for the installation of new solar panels for enhanced power supply.
This mission marked the first spaceflight for Cardman and Platonov. Currently, three astronauts, including NASA’s Chris Williams, and Russia’s Sergei Mikaev and Sergei Kud-Sverchkov, are residing on the station. They launched in November on a Soyuz rocket and are expected to return to Earth in the summer after an eight-month stay.
