SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule returned a four-member crew to Earth early after a medical emergency aboard the International Space Station, splashing down safely before dawn off San Diego in the Pacific Ocean. The unscheduled homecoming marked the first time NASA has cut short an ISS mission because of a health issue.
The spacecraft, named Endeavour, parachuted into calm seas at about 12:45 a.m. local time, capping a descent of more than 10 hours from orbit and a fiery re-entry through Earth’s atmosphere. Live infrared video on a joint NASA–SpaceX webcast showed the capsule’s two sets of parachutes unfurling from its nose, slowing the vehicle to roughly 25 km/h before a gentle splashdown.
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“It’s good to be home,” mission commander Zena Cardman, 38, said in a radio transmission to SpaceX flight control near Los Angeles.
Cardman was joined by fellow U.S. astronaut Mike Fincke, 58, Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui, 55, and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov, 39. The quartet launched to orbit in August and had been aboard the station for 167 days. They undocked yesterday afternoon for a roughly 10½-hour flight home.
NASA announced on Jan. 8 that the crew would return several weeks ahead of schedule because one of the astronauts faced a “serious medical condition” requiring immediate care on the ground. Citing privacy concerns, the agency has not identified which crew member was affected or described the nature of the problem.
The medical issue also prompted NASA to cancel a planned spacewalk on Jan. 7. Cardman, a rookie astronaut and geobiologist, and Fincke, a retired Air Force colonel who served as the station’s designated commander, had been slated to spend more than six hours installing hardware outside the outpost. NASA Chief Health and Medical Officer James Polk later said the emergency did not involve “an injury that occurred in the pursuit of operations.”
The successful splashdown concludes a mission that unfolded largely as planned until last week’s abrupt change. Recovery operations proceeded under clear skies and calm seas, following standard procedures to secure the capsule and begin post-landing medical checks.
NASA and SpaceX did not immediately release further details about the crew member’s condition. The agency emphasized that the decision to expedite the return was driven by medical considerations and the need for treatment that could not be provided on orbit.
The early return underscores both the maturity and the limits of routine station operations. While Crew Dragon and the ISS can support extended missions, the episode highlights how quickly flight plans can shift when health concerns arise — and how commercial spacecraft and joint mission control teams can execute a rapid, safe ride home on short notice.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
