NASA, SpaceX Set January 14 As Target Date For Crew-11’s Return To Earth Amid Astronaut Medical Emergency

New Delhi: NASA and SpaceX are targeting 5 p.m. EST on January 14 for the Crew-11 undocking from the International Space Station. This expedited timeline follows the agency's decision to return the four-person crew earlier than expected due to a stable, yet undisclosed, medical situation involving one member. 

The Crew-11 team is set to return to Earth aboard the SpaceX Dragon capsule Endeavour, with a targeted splashdown off the California coast on January 15. 

According to an update from the International Space Station’s official X account, the exact timing remains subject to change based on local weather and the readiness of recovery teams. 

NASA added, “NASA’s Crew-11 astronauts are currently readying the International Space Station for their return, even as mission managers finalize the official landing window. The team began checking the fit of their Dragon pressure suits and stowing personal items today, following NASA's decision to cut the mission short due to a non-emergency medical issue with one crew member.”

In an update, NASA wrote, “No departure date has been announced, though the crew has begun checking the fit and operability of their Dragon pressure suits.” 

"Fit verification is necessary because the spine lengthens and body fluids shift toward the head in microgravity, affecting torso and limb dimensions. The quartet also tested the suits' audio and video communication systems," It stated further. 

The crew will return in the same signature black-and-white SpaceX pressure suits used during their August 2025 launch. NASA astronaut Zena Cardman is set to command the Dragon Endeavour for the flight home, with veteran Mike Fincke serving as pilot. They will be accompanied by mission specialists Kimiya Yui of JAXA and Oleg Platonov of Roscosmos. 

Preparations are in full swing aboard the ISS as the Crew-11 astronauts begin packing and stowing gear. 

NASA wrote in the update, "The foursome began collecting their personal items and packing them for stowage aboard the spacecraft,"

NASA's chief medical officer on medical issue

NASA Chief Health and Medical Officer Dr. James Polk clarified that the medical issue is not the result of an injury or an on-duty accident. Instead, he attributed the condition to the physiological strains of long-term weightlessness, which astronauts experience while living and working in the International Space Station’s microgravity environment.

Polk underlines, "It's mostly having a medical issue in the difficult areas of microgravity and the suite of hardware that we operate in."

NASA officials emphasized that the medical concern was not a result of the crew's preparations for the January 8 spacewalk. Although the extravehicular activity (EVA) was subsequently canceled to prioritize the astronaut's health, the agency clarified that the scheduled work did not trigger or contribute to the medical situation.

While the current situation marks the first time in the International Space Station’s 25-year history that a mission has been cut short for a medical evacuation, it is not the first time NASA has managed health crises in orbit. 

Over the decades, the agency has successfully treated several serious conditions, including a widely publicized blood clot in an astronaut’s jugular vein in 2020, using remote guidance and onboard medical kits.

According to NASA’s Dr. James Polk, the medical issues experienced by astronauts frequently mirror everyday Earthly maladies. While the agency is protecting the privacy of the current Crew-11 member by not disclosing the specifics of their condition, officials acknowledged that similar health concerns have historically disrupted station operations and spacewalks.

Also Read: Jupiter at Its Biggest and Brightest: Here’s How to Watch It