New Delhi, January 16. SpaceX on January 15 safely returned four astronauts from the International Space Station (ISS) in what NASA described as the first medical evacuation from the orbiting laboratory, marking a major operational milestone in human spaceflight.
NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego at 12:41 am PST aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft. The landing concluded a mission that lasted more than five months aboard the ISS.
“Welcome home, Crew-11,” NASA said in a post on social media platform X, confirming that the capsule touched down at 3:41 am Eastern Time. SpaceX separately announced the successful return, saying the Dragon spacecraft and Crew-11 had safely splashed down off California.
Following the early return, the ISS is now staffed by three crew members: NASA astronaut Chris Williams and Russian cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev. The station is expected to return to its full complement with the arrival of the next four-person crew next month.
NASA said all four returning astronauts would be taken to a nearby hospital for further medical evaluation, citing the availability of advanced medical facilities on Earth to ensure the best possible care.
The decision to bring Crew-11 home followed NASA’s announcement on January 8 to postpone the agency’s first scheduled spacewalk of 2026, which was to involve Fincke and Cardman. At the time, NASA cited a medical concern affecting one crew member but did not disclose further details or identify the astronaut involved, citing medical privacy. The agency said the situation was stable.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said the mission highlighted the flexibility and resilience of the US space programme in responding to unforeseen circumstances without compromising broader objectives.
“Crew-11 completed more than 140 science experiments that advance human exploration,” Isaacman said. “The mission demonstrates our ability to safely bring astronauts home when needed, launch new crews quickly, and continue preparing for future milestones such as Artemis II and missions beyond low Earth orbit.”
During their 167-day stay in space, the Crew-11 astronauts travelled nearly 71 million miles and orbited the Earth more than 2,670 times. The mission was the fourth spaceflight for Fincke, the second for Yui, and the first for both Cardman and Platonov. With this mission, Fincke’s total time in space has reached 549 days, placing him fourth among NASA astronauts in cumulative spaceflight duration.
