January 1, Astronaut’s Illness Cuts Space Mission Short

Wyatt’s Take

NASA astronaut Mike Fincke revealed he suffered a medical issue on the ISS that ended Crew-11’s stay early.

SpaceX now launches Crew-12 to keep the station running with an 8-month mission.

• Fincke’s health scare hit January 7 aboard the station.
• Crew splashed down off San Diego January 15 after 5.5 months.
• New team steps up right after the unplanned exit.

Fincke did not detail the problem but said quick help from crewmates stabilized him.

“On Jan. 7, while aboard the International Space Station, I experienced a medical event that required immediate attention from my incredible crewmates. Thanks to their quick response and the guidance of our NASA flight surgeons, my status quickly stabilized,” Fincke said.

“After further evaluation, NASA determined the safest course was an early return for Crew-11 — not an emergency, but a carefully coordinated plan to be able to take advantage of advanced medical imaging not available on the space station. On Jan. 15, we splashed down off the coast of San Diego after an amazing five-and-a-half-month mission,” he added.

Fincke thanked NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Chris Williams, JAXA’s Kimiya Yui, Roscosmos’ Oleg Platonov and Sergey Kud-Sverchkov, plus SpaceX and Scripps Hospital staff.

“I am deeply grateful to my fellow Expedition 74 members — Zena Cardman, Kimiya Yui, Oleg Platonov, Chris Williams, Sergey Kud-Sverchkov, and Sergei Mikayev — as well as the entire NASA team, SpaceX, and the medical professionals at Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla near San Diego. Their professionalism and dedication ensured a positive outcome,” he said.

Fincke called spaceflight a privilege reminding us of human limits.

“I’m doing very well and continuing standard post-flight reconditioning at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Spaceflight is an incredible privilege, and sometimes it reminds us just how human we are. Thank you all for your support,” the astronaut added.

Retired NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore shared details on Crew-12 launch stages and mental prep for long hauls.

Folks, cheer on private outfits like SpaceX proving grit beats red tape every time.

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