NASA may end the current ISS mission early after a space station crew member experienced a medical problem Wednesday, hours before two astronauts complete a spacewalk outside the station.
By Meghan Bartels edited by Claire Cameron
NASA astronaut Mike Fincke poses inside the Quest airlock of the International Space Station, next to a spacesuit.
NASA
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NASA revealed Thursday that it plans to return a crew member aboard the International Space Station to Earth earlier than planned, after the unidentified astronaut experienced a medical problem on Wednesday.
The crew member is described as in a stable state.
“The security of our missions is our top priority and we are actively evaluating all options, including the possibility of an earlier end to the Crew-11 mission,” the agency said in a statement. Further updates are expected in the next 24 hours, he said.
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The announcement came hours after the agency delayed a planned spacewalk from the International Space Station (ISS), just hours before two astronauts were scheduled to exit the orbiting laboratory.
The agency said in a declaration that “a medical problem in a member of the crew that occurred on Wednesday afternoon” caused the postponement. The announcement came just four hours after NASA reported that the space station crew had completed preparations for the effort, more formally known as extravehicular activity, or EVA. NASA provided no details about the astronaut involved or the nature of the situation, citing medical confidentiality.
“The situation is stable,” the statement said. “NASA will share additional details later, including a new date for the next spacewalk.”
NASA astronauts Mike Fincke and Zena Cardman were scheduled to depart the station around 8 a.m. ET on Jan. 8 for a six-and-a-half-hour project to install and prepare new hardware for a future deployment of solar panels. If time permitted, they were also to take photographs of the equipment and samples of microorganisms living outside the station.
Other current ISS crew members include NASA astronaut Chris Williams, Russian cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov, Oleg Platonov and Sergei Mikaev, and Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui. The seven crew members have been in space for more than five months.
Editor’s note: This story was updated on January 8 to include new information from NASA regarding this situation. This is breaking news and may be updated at a later date.
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