NASA is actively weighing up the possibility of a rare, early return for a crew from the International Space Station (ISS) following an unspecified medical issue involving one of the astronauts. The situation has led to the cancellation of a planned spacewalk, underscoring the inherent challenges of human spaceflight.
Medical Concern Halts ISS Operations
The US space agency announced it was monitoring a medical situation that arose on Wednesday afternoon involving a crew member aboard the orbiting laboratory. While NASA has not identified the astronaut, a spokesperson confirmed the individual is in a stable condition.
In response, the agency took the significant step of cancelling a 6.5-hour spacewalk that had been scheduled for Thursday. The extravehicular activity was to be conducted by US astronauts Mike Fincke, the station's commander, and Zena Cardman, a flight engineer. Their task was to install hardware on the exterior of the ISS.
Evaluating an Early End to Crew-11 Mission
NASA stated that safely conducting its missions is its highest priority and is now considering all options. This includes a potential early conclusion to the Crew-11 mission. "We are actively evaluating all options, including the possibility of an earlier end to Crew-11’s mission," the agency's spokesperson said.
The four-person Crew-11 team launched from Florida in August and includes US astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov. They were originally scheduled to complete their standard six to eight-month rotation and return to Earth around May of this year.
The Secrecy and Risks of Space Medicine
Medical situations on the ISS are typically treated as closely held secrets by NASA's astronaut corps, with crew members rarely discussing their health conditions publicly. The station is equipped with basic medical equipment and medications for emergencies.
The cancellation highlights the arduous and risky nature of spacewalks, which require months of specialised training. Astronauts must operate in bulky spacesuits while tethered to the station. This is not the first last-minute cancellation; in 2024, a spacewalk was called off due to an astronaut's "spacesuit discomfort," and in 2021, US astronaut Mark Vande Hei cancelled his outing because of a pinched nerve.
NASA's decision-making process now focuses on the wellbeing of the crew member and the overall safety of the mission, with a potential early return via a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft being a serious consideration.
