Ailing astronaut returns to Earth early in NASA’s first medical evacuation

An ailing astronaut returned to Earth with three others on Thursday, ending their space station mission more than a month early in NASA’s first medical evacuation.

SpaceX guided the capsule to a middle-of-the-night splashdown in the Pacific near San Diego, less than 11 hours after the astronauts exited the International Space Station.

“It’s so good to be home,” said NASA astronaut Zena Cardman, the capsule commander.

Four members from NASA's Crew-11 — including an ailing astronaut — returned to Earth on January 15, 2026. — Four members from NASA’s Crew-11 — including an ailing astronaut — returned to Earth on January 15, 2026. NASA TV

SpaceX guided the capsule to a middle-of-the-night splashdown in the Pacific near San Diego. NASA TV

It was an unexpected finish to a mission that began in August and left the orbiting lab with only one American and two Russians on board.

NASA and SpaceX said they would try to move up the launch of a fresh crew of four; liftoff is currently targeted for mid-February.

NASA’s Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke were joined on the return by Japan’s Kimiya Yui and Russia’s Oleg Platonov.

Officials have refused to identify the astronaut who had the health problem or explain what happened, citing medical privacy.

While the astronaut was stable in orbit, NASA wanted them back on Earth as soon as possible to receive proper care and diagnostic testing.

This screengrab from video provided by NASA shows the NASA's SpaceX Crew-11 capsule being taken into the recovery vessel after crew members re entered the earth in a middle-of-the-night splashdown near San Diego, Calif., Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. — SpaceX Crew-11 capsule being taken into the recovery vessel after crew members re-entered the earth in a middle-of-the-night splashdown near San Diego, Calif., Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. AP

NASA astronaut Zena Cardman, the capsule commander, declared “it’s so good to be home” as the capsule landed on January 15, 2026. — NASA astronaut Zena Cardman, the capsule commander, declared, “It’s so good to be home” as the capsule landed on January 15, 2026. NASA TV

The entry and splashdown required no special changes or accommodations, officials said, and the recovery ship had its usual allotment of medical experts on board.

It was not immediately known when the astronauts would fly from California to their home base in Houston. Platonov’s return to Moscow was also unclear.

NASA stressed repeatedly over the past week that this was not an emergency.

(L-R) Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov, NASA astronauts Mike Fink, Zena Cardman and Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui. NASA TV

NASA’s Crew-11 member Zena Cardman after returning to Earth. NASA TV

NASA’s Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke were joined on the return by Japan’s Kimiya Yui and Russia’s Oleg Platonov. NASA TV

The astronaut fell sick or was injured on Jan. 7, prompting NASA to call off the next day’s spacewalk by Cardman and Fincke, and ultimately resulting in the early return.

It was the first time NASA cut short a spaceflight for medical reasons.

The Russians had done so decades ago.

The space station has gotten by with three astronauts before, sometimes even with just two.

NASA said it will be unable to perform a spacewalk, even for an emergency, until the arrival of the next crew, which has two Americans, one French and one Russian astronaut

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