Four members of the ISS crew are expected to land on Thursday after NASA announced the first medical evacuation in the space station’s history.
By Jackie Flynn Mogensen edited by Claire Cameron
The International Space Station, as seen from the SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavor spacecraft on November 8, 2021.
NASA
Join our community of science lovers!
NASA has revealed the return date of four International Space Station (ISS) crew members who are evacuated from the station after one falls ill with an unknown illness.
The crew is expected to begin their return to Earth no earlier than 5:00 p.m. EST on Wednesday, January 14. The SpaceX capsule is then expected to land off the coast of California around 3:40 a.m. EST on Thursday, January 15.
The announcement follows the space agency’s decision Thursday to abort the Crew-11 mission after an unidentified crew member suffered a “medical concern.” THE sanitary evacuation marks a first in the 25-year history of the space station.
On supporting science journalism
If you enjoy this article, please consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribe. By purchasing a subscription, you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.
The exact return time depends on the weather and is subject to change. In a statement, NASA said mission managers were monitoring sea conditions in the spacecraft’s recovery area. “NASA and SpaceX will select a specific landing time and location closer to the undocking of the Crew-11 spacecraft,” the agency said in a statement. statement.
NASA has not revealed the extent of the ill crew member’s medical problem. In revealing the decision to discharge the crew early on January 8, Isaacman said the issue was a “serious medical issue”, but described the affected crew member as “stable”.
Crew 11 includes two NASA astronauts, mission commander Zena Cardman and pilot Mike Fincke, as well as Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov. They were expected to remain on the ISS until mid-February, when the replacement crew, Crew-12, is still expected to arrive.
It’s time to defend science
If you enjoyed this article, I would like to ask for your support. Scientific American has been defending science and industry for 180 years, and we are currently experiencing perhaps the most critical moment in these two centuries of history.
I was a Scientific American subscriber since the age of 12, and it helped shape the way I see the world. SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of respect for our vast and magnificent universe. I hope this is the case for you too.
If you subscribe to Scientific Americanyou help ensure our coverage centers on meaningful research and discoveries; that we have the resources to account for decisions that threaten laboratories across the United States; and that we support budding and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized.
In exchange, you receive essential information, captivating podcastsbrilliant infographics, newsletters not to be missedunmissable videos, stimulating gamesand the best writings and reports from the scientific world. You can even give someone a subscription.
There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science matters. I hope you will support us in this mission.