Key Takeaways
- For the first time, NASA is evacuating astronauts from the ISS for medical reasons.
- The Crew-11 team, consisting of four astronauts, is returning early, though only one is affected by a medical issue.
- Medical facilities on Earth are prepared to assist the affected astronaut upon their return.
Medical Evacuation from the ISS
NASA is undertaking its first medical evacuation of astronauts from the International Space Station (ISS) due to a health situation concerning one of the crew members. The specific details of the medical issue have not been disclosed for privacy concerns, but four out of the seven astronauts currently aboard the ISS will return to Earth earlier than scheduled.
The astronauts are part of the Crew-11 mission, which launched on August 1st and was initially set to complete its mission in late February. NASA administrator Jared Isaacman noted during an 8 January press conference that the decision to evacuate was partially driven by the successful completion of the mission’s objectives. “Because the astronaut is absolutely stable, this is not an emergent evacuation,” said NASA’s chief health and medical officer, James Polk. He emphasized that the astronauts would not be disembarking immediately but would return within the next few days.
While previous medical incidents on the ISS have generally been minor, this is the first case deemed serious enough to warrant an evacuation. According to Polk, the ISS has a variety of medical equipment, but it lacks the complete tools found in typical emergency departments to thoroughly assess the injured astronaut. “The medical incident was sufficient enough that we were concerned… and the best way to complete that workup is on the ground,” he explained.
The returning Crew-11 members include two NASA astronauts, one Russian cosmonaut, and one Japanese astronaut. They will travel back to Earth aboard the same Dragon spacecraft that delivered them to the ISS. Medical facilities on the ground are being prepped to receive the astronaut in need of care.
Isaacman stated that while this evacuation is unprecedented, the operation closely mirrors standard procedures for returning crews to Earth. “In the 25 years of the history of the International Space Station, we’ve had many models… that have said that we should’ve had a medical evacuation approximately every three years… and we’ve not had one to date,” noted Polk.
With the Crew-11 team’s departure, only one NASA astronaut and two Russian cosmonauts will remain on the ISS until the arrival of the Crew-12 mission. That mission’s launch, originally scheduled for around February 15, might be expedited in light of the current situation.
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