NASA has decided to conclude a mission on the International Space Station prematurely due to a medical problem experienced by one of the astronauts. The space agency announced on Thursday that the four-member crew consisting of individuals from the United States, Japan, and Russia will be returning to Earth earlier than scheduled.
As a result of the health issue, NASA had to cancel its first spacewalk of the year. Maintaining confidentiality, NASA refrained from disclosing the identity of the affected astronaut or the specific medical condition, emphasizing patient privacy. However, the crew member is reported to be in stable condition.
Presently, seven astronauts are inhabiting and operating on the space station. The most recent crew arrived in August following their launch from Florida.
During a news conference on Thursday, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman expressed his appreciation for the prompt actions taken across the agency to ensure the safety of the astronauts.
The crew set to return home arrived at the space station in August via SpaceX for a mission duration of at least six months. This team comprised U.S. astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov.
Cardman and Fincke were originally scheduled to conduct a spacewalk to prepare for the installation of solar panels in the future, aimed at enhancing the station’s power supply. According to NASA, this mission marked Fincke’s fourth visit to the space station, while Yui had been there once before. For Cardman and Platonov, this mission represented their inaugural spaceflight.
At present, three other astronauts, including NASA’s Chris Williams and Russia’s Sergei Mikaev and Sergei Kud-Sverchkov, are stationed on the space station. They were launched in November via a Soyuz rocket for an eight-month mission and are expected to return home in the summer.