SpaceX Crew-11 to return early from space station due to ‘medical issue’

NASA and SpaceX are targeting the early return of four astronauts from the International Space Station later this week, following a medical issue with one of the crew members. The mission, known as Crew-11, is now slated to undock and splash down ahead of its original schedule.

Undocking of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft is now targeted for no earlier than 5 p.m. EST on Wednesday, pending favorable weather conditions. The crew is scheduled to splash down off the coast of California at approximately 3:40 a.m. EST on Thursday.

Returning to Earth are NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, along with Kimiya Yui from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and Oleg Platonov from the Russian space agency Roscosmos.

NASA officials announced the decision to expedite the crew's return on Thursday. The agency has stated that a crew member is dealing with a medical concern but is in stable condition. Due to medical privacy, NASA will not provide any further details about the nature of the issue or the individual involved.

The return timeline is contingent on several factors, including final spacecraft checks, the readiness of the recovery team, and weather and sea conditions at the splashdown site. Mission managers will select a precise time and location for the landing closer to the undocking event.