{"id":23614,"date":"2026-01-14T19:28:30","date_gmt":"2026-01-14T11:28:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/crew-11-lands-after-medical-situation-forces-early-return\/"},"modified":"2026-01-14T19:28:30","modified_gmt":"2026-01-14T11:28:30","slug":"crew-11-lands-after-medical-situation-forces-early-return","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/crew-11-lands-after-medical-situation-forces-early-return\/","title":{"rendered":"Crew-11 lands after medical situation forces early return"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The Crew-11 mission has left the International Space Station and have arrived back on Earth. Crew Dragon <em>Endeavour&nbsp;<\/em>and its crew of four \u2014 comprised of two NASA astronauts, one Japanese astronaut, and one Russian cosmonaut \u2014 splashed down in the Pacific Ocean at 12:40 AM PST (08:40 UTC) on Thursday, Jan. 15.<\/p>\n<p>Crew-11 launched to the Station on Aug. 1 and was intended to complete an eight-month mission, with a return slated for April 2026. However, due to an undisclosed medical situation aboard the Station ahead of a planned extravehicular activity (or \u201cspacewalk\u201d), NASA elected to return the crew early. In a Jan. 11 post, ISS commander and Crew-11 pilot, Michael Fincke, noted that \u201ceveryone on board is stable, safe, and well cared for.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Crew-11 Dragon splashdown in the Pacific Ocean\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/kzQpZnJ2bjg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen=\"\" name=\"fitvid0\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-14=\"true\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-21=\"true\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Crew-11 launched to the International Space Station aboard SpaceX\u2019s Crew Dragon&nbsp;<em>Endeavour.&nbsp;<\/em>NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Michael Fincke serve as the mission\u2019s commander and pilot, respectively. Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Kimiya Yui and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov serve as mission specialists.<\/p>\n<p>The crew was working at the Station as part of Expedition 73\/74. A change-of-command ceremony, in which Fincke handed control of the Station to Soyuz MS-28 cosmonaut Sergey Kud-Sverchkov, was held on the Station on Jan. 12.<\/p>\n<h4 class=\"widget-title penci-border-arrow\">See Also<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Crew-11 Updates<\/li>\n<li>ISS Forum Section<\/li>\n<li>NSF Store<\/li>\n<li>Click here to Join L2<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Medical situation ahead of EVA<\/p>\n<p>NASA had scheduled an extravehicular activity (EVA), named U.S. EVA 94, for Thursday, Jan. 8. On Jan. 7, however, the agency announced it had postponed the space walk due to a \u201cmedical concern with a crew member that arose Wednesday afternoon.\u201d Crew-11\u2019s Cardman and Fincke were scheduled to perform the EVA.<\/p>\n<p>SpaceX<path d=\"M7.59009 18.59L9.00009 20L17.0001 12L9.00009 4L7.59009 5.41L14.1701 12\" style=\"animation: initial !important; background: initial !important; border: 0px !important; box-shadow: none !important; color: inherit !important; cursor: inherit !important; direction: inherit !important; display: inline !important; fill: currentcolor !important; filter: initial !important; float: none !important; margin: 0px !important; opacity: initial !important; outline: 0px !important; overflow: initial !important; padding: 0px !important; stroke: initial !important; transform: initial !important; vertical-align: initial !important; visibility: inherit !important;\"><\/path>Aerospace industry analysis<path d=\"M7.59009 18.59L9.00009 20L17.0001 12L9.00009 4L7.59009 5.41L14.1701 12\" style=\"animation: initial !important; background: initial !important; border: 0px !important; box-shadow: none !important; color: inherit !important; cursor: inherit !important; direction: inherit !important; display: inline !important; fill: currentcolor !important; filter: initial !important; float: none !important; margin: 0px !important; opacity: initial !important; outline: 0px !important; overflow: initial !important; padding: 0px !important; stroke: initial !important; transform: initial !important; vertical-align: initial !important; visibility: inherit !important;\"><\/path>Aerospace &amp; Defense<path d=\"M7.59009 18.59L9.00009 20L17.0001 12L9.00009 4L7.59009 5.41L14.1701 12\" style=\"animation: initial !important; background: initial !important; border: 0px !important; box-shadow: none !important; color: inherit !important; cursor: inherit !important; direction: inherit !important; display: inline !important; fill: currentcolor !important; filter: initial !important; float: none !important; margin: 0px !important; opacity: initial !important; outline: 0px !important; overflow: initial !important; padding: 0px !important; stroke: initial !important; transform: initial !important; vertical-align: initial !important; visibility: inherit !important;\"><\/path>\n<p>     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});<\/p>\n<p>Aside from noting that the situation was stable, NASA did not share further details due to medical privacy concerns, but NASA\u2019s Chief Health and Medical Officer, Dr. James Polk, stated the situation was unrelated to the operational environment or spacewalk preparations.<\/p>\n<p>Hours later, on Jan. 8, the agency announced it was evaluating the possibility of an early return of Crew-11 due to the medical situation. Later, during a press conference at NASA\u2019s Headquarters in Washington D.C., NASA Administrator Jared Issacman announced the agency would be returning Crew-11 early, with undocking and splashdown dates to be determined in the following days.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"ISS Change of Command ahead of Crew-11 early return home\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/X22VQWM1f1A?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen=\"\" name=\"fitvid1\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-14=\"true\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-21=\"true\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Crew-11\u2019s early return will also lead to schedule changes for upcoming missions to the Station, most notably NASA and SpaceX\u2019s Crew-12 mission, which is currently scheduled to launch to the ISS on Feb. 15. The agency said it was evaluating options to advance the launch to an earlier date. Crew-12 will launch two NASA astronauts, Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, one European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut, Sophie Adenot, and one Roscosmos cosmonaut, Andrey Fedyaev.<\/p>\n<p>Crew-11\u2019s return to Earth<\/p>\n<p>Following the announcement of their early return, NASA shared that the Crew-11 crew members began collecting their belongings and making final preparations for their trip back to Earth. This included checking the fit and operability of their SpaceX pressure suits, as well as the suits\u2019 audio and video communication systems. What\u2019s more, the crew wrapped up any ongoing experiments they had been working on while living on the Station.<\/p>\n<p>On Monday, Jan. 12, the crew packed their personal belongings and necessary gear for return into&nbsp;<em>Endeavour, <\/em>while also reviewing procedures for undocking, reentry, and landing. The crew continued conducting science experiments and Station maintenance activities when not preparing for their return.<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-111505\" class=\"size-full wp-image-111505\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/55038346494_1a6446e53f_k.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1365\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/55038346494_1a6446e53f_k.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/55038346494_1a6446e53f_k-350x233.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/55038346494_1a6446e53f_k-525x350.jpg 525w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/55038346494_1a6446e53f_k-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/55038346494_1a6446e53f_k-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/55038346494_1a6446e53f_k-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/55038346494_1a6446e53f_k-585x390.jpg 585w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/55038346494_1a6446e53f_k-263x175.jpg 263w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-111505\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The four-person crew of Crew-11 pose in their pressure suits ahead of their return to Earth. (Credit: NASA)<\/p>\n<p>NASA and SpaceX mission managers reviewed return plans on Tuesday, Jan. 13, ultimately issuing a \u201cgo\u201d for return. After suiting up and entering&nbsp;<em>Endeavour<\/em>, the Expedition 73\/74 crew members will close and secure the hatch between Dragon and the ISS, ensuring a good pressure seal.<\/p>\n<p>Once seated in their respective seats within&nbsp;<em>Endeavour<\/em> and communication checks have been completed,&nbsp;<em>Endeavour<\/em> and the Crew-11 crew will undock from the Harmony module\u2019s space-facing port at 5:05 PM EST (22:05 UTC), beginning their return to Earth.<\/p>\n<p><em>Endeavour<\/em> will orbit Earth for around nine hours before performing its deorbit burn. At the completion of this burn,&nbsp;<em>Endeavour<\/em> and its crew will be on a trajectory to reenter Earth\u2019s atmosphere and splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.<\/p>\n<p>During reentry, plasma buildup around the capsule will cause a communications blackout with the crew, during which mission operators on the ground will be unable to communicate with <em>Endeavour.&nbsp;<\/em>This communications blackout will last for several minutes. After communications have been reestablished,&nbsp;<em>Endeavour&nbsp;<\/em>will deploy its drogue parachute to begin slowing the capsule to a safe splashdown velocity.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-81750\" class=\"size-full wp-image-81750\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/51494577685_15262950de_o-1-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/51494577685_15262950de_o-1-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/51494577685_15262950de_o-1-350x233.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/51494577685_15262950de_o-1-525x350.jpg 525w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/51494577685_15262950de_o-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/51494577685_15262950de_o-1-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/51494577685_15262950de_o-1-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/51494577685_15262950de_o-1-585x390.jpg 585w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/51494577685_15262950de_o-1-263x175.jpg 263w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-81750\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A previous Crew Dragon seen during its final descent before splashdown. (Credit: SpaceX)<\/p>\n<p><em>Endeavour<\/em> will then cut its drogue chutes and deploy its main parachutes, significantly slowing the capsule to its splashdown velocity. After descending under this main parachute for several minutes,&nbsp;<em>Endeavour<\/em> will splashdown in the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of California.<\/p>\n<p>SpaceX\u2019s Dragon recovery vessel,&nbsp;<em>Shannon<\/em>, will approach the capsule after landing and begin safing&nbsp;<em>Endeavour<\/em>.&nbsp;<em>Shannon<\/em> and SpaceX recovery crews will&nbsp;lift&nbsp;<em>Endeavour<\/em> onto the ship\u2019s deck, where teams will&nbsp;open the hatch and assist the four crew members with their egress from Dragon. If NASA and SpaceX follow normal procedures for this return, the crew will be transported back to Houston, Texas, after initial medical checks.<\/p>\n<p><em>(Lead image: Crew Dragon Endeavour and Crew-11 approach the ISS for docking in August 2025. Credit: NASA)<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Crew-11 mission has left the International Space Station and have arrived back on Earth. Crew Dragon Endeavour&nbsp;and its crew of four \u2014 comprised of two NASA astronauts, one Japanese astronaut, and one Russian cosmonaut \u2014 splashed down in the Pacific Ocean at 12:40 AM PST (08:40 UTC) on Thursday, Jan. 15. Crew-11 launched to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":35328,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[830,235,851,1395,1445,717,233,877,190,234,316],"class_list":["post-23614","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-commercial-crew-program","tag-crew-dragon","tag-crew-11","tag-dragon","tag-endeavour","tag-international-space-station","tag-iss","tag-jaxa","tag-nasa","tag-roscosmos","tag-spacex"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23614"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23614"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23614\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/35328"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23614"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23614"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23614"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}