In an unprecedented move, NASA has announced the emergency evacuation of the International Space Station crew due to a medical issue faced by one of the astronauts. This marks the first time in history that the crew has been withdrawn from the station under such circumstances.
During a press conference on Thursday, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman stated that the current Crew-11 mission would be cut short, with their return being prioritized over the planned February schedule. Isaacman emphasized that ensuring the safety of the astronauts is the top priority, and plans for their return are being formulated over the next two days.
“I’ve determined that the best course of action for our astronauts is to bring Crew-11 back sooner than originally intended,” Isaacman shared, highlighting the agency’s commitment to the well-being of its crew members.
This decision follows a recent cancellation of a spacewalk that was scheduled for Thursday. NASA officials decided to postpone the activity, citing a need for caution concerning the health of the affected astronaut.
Crew-11 consists of NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, along with Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov. The incident comes shortly after the crew was joined by Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata and NASA’s Chris Williams, who arrived via a Russian Soyuz spacecraft in November 2025.
The group was recently joined by Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata and NASA astronaut Chris Williams, who arrived at the station aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft in November 2025.
Isaacman said that Williams will remain on the station with the Soyuz crew to maintain America’s presence in space.
While the astronaut who suffered the medical issue was not revealed, NASA’s chief medical officer Dr James Polk said the astronaut was not in any immediate danger and that astronaut being cared for by their fellow crewmates until their return.
Crew-11 before launching to the ISS. Pictured (L to R): Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov, NASA astronaut Mike Fincke, JAXA astronaut Kimiya Yui, and NASA’s Zena Cardman
NASA cancelled a planned spacewalk on Thursday involving the crew of the International Space Station (Pictured) over an unspecified medical issue involving one of the astronauts
Dr Polk added that the medical issue the astronaut suffered had nothing to do with the upcoming spacewalk or any other operations on board the station.
‘It’s mostly having a medical issue in the difficult areas of microgravity,’ Polk explained without going into specific medical details.
NASA officials noted that no special precautions would need to be taken to keep the affected astronaut safe until their return and called their condition ‘stable’ until the evacuation plan is finalized.
NASA has never had to bring an astronaut home for medical reasons, but an evacuation plan has been built into every ISS mission, with crew return vehicles kept on standby.
‘We are looking the correct opportunity to use our existing landing sites,’ Isaacman said when asked if NASA would be making an emergency landing to get Crew-11 home faster.
‘I´m proud of the swift effort across the agency thus far to ensure the safety of our astronauts,’ the NASA chief added.
The NASA administrator did note that the space agency did consider this a ‘serious medical condition’ which forced officials to conclude that the first ever evacuation was necessary.
However, Dr Polk stressed that the astronaut’s was not in immediate danger which would force NASA to consider rushing the evacuation.
NASA administrator Jared Isaacman (Left) and NASA chief medical officer Dr James Polk (Center) revealed on Thursday that Crew-11 would be returning as soon as possible
JAXA astronaut Kimiya Yui (center) was helping NASA astronaut Zena Cardman (left) and Mike Fincke prepare for the spacewalk before it was postponed
‘The crew member is absolutely stable, so I don’t foresee massive changes to the timeline or their activities,’ Polk said.
Crew-11 arrived at the ISS on August 1, 2025, meaning their return date had been scheduled for late February.
The four astronauts would supposed to leave after Crew-12 arrived on a SpaceX Dragon capsule no earlier than February 15.
Isaacman said that any decision to potentially move up the launch of Crew-12 would not impact the upcoming Artemis II mission planned for February 2026.
He called the two launches ‘totally separate campaigns,’ meaning there should be no issue in launching Artemis on time. Artemis II will be the first manned spaceflight to orbit the moon since 1972.
Meanwhile, the ISS is required to have astronauts aboard at all times, as they are essential to carry out maintenance, repairs, operate complex experiments, manage life support and perform spacewalks, tasks that automation cannot fully handle, ensuring constant human oversight for safety and scientific output.
Until now, there had never been a crew evacuated ahead of their scheduled departure time from the ISS, however, two spacewalks were recently cancelled because of various health issues among the astronauts.
A mission was cancelled in 2021 when Mark Vande Hei experienced a pinched nerve and was unable to travel outside the ISS.
Another spacewalk in 2024 was called off at the last minute because an astronaut experienced ‘spacesuit discomfort.’
