NASA is weighing the possibility of bringing back crew members from the International Space Station (ISS) earlier than planned, due to some medical concerns that haven’t been fully specified yet.
This decision follows the cancellation of a previously scheduled spacewalk meant to take place on Thursday, according to Reuters. A spokesperson from NASA mentioned, “Completing the mission safely is our top priority, and we are actively considering all options, including the possibility of early termination of Crew-11’s mission.”
While the astronaut facing medical issues hasn’t been identified, reports suggest that their condition is stable. Earlier, NASA confirmed that they were “monitoring a medical concern among the crew that occurred Wednesday afternoon.”
The Crew-11 team is made up of four astronauts: American astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Finke, along with Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov and Japanese cosmonaut Yu Kimiya.
Finke, who is the mission commander, and Cardman were set to undertake a 6.5-hour spacewalk aimed at installing equipment outside the ISS on Thursday.
Typically, astronauts spend six to eight months on the ISS and are equipped with essential medical supplies for emergencies. The Crew-11 members launched from Florida in August on this eight-month mission and are expected back on Earth in May.
Extravehicular activities, like spacewalks, are highly demanding and necessitate extensive training. Interestingly, NASA had previously canceled a spacewalk last year due to an astronaut experiencing “spacesuit discomfort.” In 2021, astronaut Mark Vande Hei also had to call off a spacewalk after dealing with a pinched nerve.
As of now, NASA hasn’t released further comments about the situation.
