Astronaut Mike Fincke revealed in a statement from NASA on Wednesday that he was the crew member who faced a medical situation, prompting Crew-11’s early return from the International Space Station last month.
“On January 7, while aboard the International Space Station, I encountered a medical event that required immediate assistance from my remarkable crewmates. Thanks to their swift actions and the expertise of our NASA flight surgeons, my condition stabilized quickly,” Fincke stated.
He further explained, “After additional assessments, NASA concluded that the safest option was to return Crew-11 ahead of schedule—not an emergency, but a well-coordinated plan to utilize advanced medical imaging unavailable on the space station. On January 15, we safely landed off the San Diego coast, concluding an incredible five-and-a-half-month mission.”
Mike Fincke is assisted out of the SpaceX Dragon Endeavour spacecraft following the landing of Crew-11 in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego, California, on January 15, 2026. (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Fincke chose not to disclose specifics about the medical issue but assured everyone that he is recovering well.
“I am immensely thankful to my fellow Expedition 74 members—Zena Cardman, Kimiya Yui, Oleg Platonov, Chris Williams, Sergey Kud-Sverchkov, and Sergei Mikayev—along with the entire NASA team, SpaceX, and the medical staff at Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla near San Diego. Their professionalism and commitment ensured a successful outcome,” he expressed.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission launches from the Kennedy Space Center on Aug. 1, 2025 in Cape Canaveral, Florida. (Joel Kowsky/NASA via Getty Images)
“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.
NASA noted last month that its SpaceX Crew-11 mission returned to Earth around a month sooner than planned due to a medical issue with a crew member.
From left, Russia’s Oleg Platonov, NASA’s Mike Fincke and Zena Cardman, and Kimiya Yui of Japan onboard the SpaceX recovery ship Shannon shortly after landing in the Pacific off the coast of Long Beach, California, Jan. 15, 2026. (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
In addition to Fincke, NASA astronaut Zena Cardman, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Kimiya Yui and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov were on board.
Related Article
