NASA astronaut reveals he was the one who had a medical issue that led to crew's early return to Earth

Astronaut Mike Fincke said successful a connection issued by NASA connected Wednesday that helium was the idiosyncratic who experienced a aesculapian contented that resulted successful Crew-11's aboriginal instrumentality from the International Space Station past month.

"On Jan. 7, portion aboard the International Space Station, I experienced a aesculapian lawsuit that required contiguous attraction from my unthinkable crewmates. Thanks to their speedy effect and the guidance of our NASA formation surgeons, my presumption rapidly stabilized," Fincke said successful the statement.

"After further evaluation, NASA determined the safest people was an aboriginal instrumentality for Crew-11 — not an emergency, but a cautiously coordinated program to beryllium capable to instrumentality vantage of precocious aesculapian imaging not disposable connected the abstraction station. On Jan. 15, we splashed down disconnected the seashore of San Diego aft an astonishing five-and-a-half-month mission," helium added.

NASA astronaut Mike Fincke helped retired of the SpaceX Dragon Endeavour spacecraft onboard the SpaceX betterment vessel SHANNON aft he, NASA astronaut Zena Cardman, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov landed successful the Pacific Ocean disconnected the seashore of San Diego, Calif., Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Fincke did not divulge the quality of the aesculapian issue, but helium said that helium is doing well.

"I americium profoundly grateful to my chap Expedition 74 members — Zena Cardman, Kimiya Yui, Oleg Platonov, Chris Williams, Sergey Kud-Sverchkov, and Sergei Mikayev — arsenic good arsenic the full NASA team, SpaceX, and the aesculapian professionals astatine Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla adjacent San Diego. Their professionalism and dedication ensured a affirmative outcome," helium said.

ASTRONAUTS ARRIVE AT ISS FOR 8-MONTH MISSION AFTER MEDICAL EMERGENCY FORCED EARLY EVACUATION

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the company’s Dragon spacecraft is launched connected NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 ngo to the International Space Station with NASA astronauts Zena Cardman, Mike Fincke, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov onboard astatine Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A connected Aug. 1, 2025 successful Cape Canaveral, Florida. (Joel Kowsky/NASA via Getty Images)

"I’m doing precise good and continuing modular post-flight reconditioning astatine NASA’s Johnson Space Center successful Houston. Spaceflight is an unthinkable privilege, and sometimes it reminds america conscionable however quality we are. Thank you each for your support," the astronaut added.

NASA noted past period that its SpaceX Crew-11 ngo returned to Earth astir a period sooner than planned owed to a aesculapian contented with a unit member.

NASA MAKES ‘UNPRECEDENTED’ CALL TO BRING ASTRONAUTS HOME AFTER ILLNESS, EXPERT SAYS: ‘EVACUATED FROM ORBIT’

Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov, left, NASA astronauts Mike Fincke, Zena Cardman, and JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Kimiya Yui are seen wrong the SpaceX Dragon Endeavour spacecraft onboard the SpaceX betterment vessel SHANNON soon aft having landed successful the Pacific Ocean disconnected the seashore of Long Beach, Calif., Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026.  (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

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In summation to Fincke, NASA astronaut Zena Cardman, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Kimiya Yui and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov were connected board.

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