NASA’s medical officer has chosen to bring the crew home over one month early, citing medical concerns for one of the astronauts.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announced last week that four astronauts are being brought back home more than a month early from the International Space Station due to a medical issue with one of the crew members. This is the first time crew members have had to depart early due to medical reasons in the 25-year history of the International Space Station. NASA cited medical privacy for the lack of details regarding the astronaut’s health concerns. They entered the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule on Wednesday in preparation for their return, anticipating splashdown early Thursday.
Medical officer Dr. JD Polk has shared that the situation is not an emergency and that it is stable. He said that the decision to bring the crew members home was made to err on the side of caution with the astronaut’s health and welfare.
“For over 60 years, NASA’s set the standard for safety and security in crewed spaceflight,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said during a news conference last week. “In these endeavors, including the 25 years of continuous human presence on board the International Space Station, the health and the well-being of our astronauts is always and will be our highest priority.”
The return of the crew leaves only three people to staff the space lab: Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev of Russia and NASA astronaut Chris Williams.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For the health and safety of astronauts Zena Cardman, Mike Fincke, Kimiya Yui, and Oleg Platonov as they prepare to return to Earth.
- For Dr. Polk and the other medical professionals who will be treating the astronaut with the medical concerns.
- For the cosmonauts and astronaut who remain at the International Space Station and the NASA crew that is expediting preparations for the next mission.
Sources: NBC News, USA Today
