NASA has cut short its mission to the International Space Station after one of the crew members developed a medical issue, forcing the US-Japanese-Russian team to return to Earth in the coming days.
The space agency announced that it had canceled its first spacewalk of the year due to the health concern, citing patient privacy. However, NASA's chief health and medical officer Dr. James Polk said that there was no emergency evacuation necessary, but rather a precautionary measure to ensure the crew member's safety.
The four-person crew, which includes astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke from NASA, Kimiya Yui from Japan, and Oleg Platonov from Russia, had been on board the ISS for at least six months. The spacewalk was intended to prepare the station for a future rollout of solar panels to increase its power capabilities.
Fincke is making his fourth visit to the ISS, while Yui is returning for her second stint. Cardman and Platonov are both first-time astronauts on this mission.
Despite this setback, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman praised the agency's swift response to ensure the safety of its astronauts.
The space station is scheduled to be de-orbited by SpaceX in late 2030 or early 2031, with plans for a safe re-entry over the ocean. Three other astronauts are currently living and working on board the ISS, including Chris Williams from NASA and Sergei Mikaev and Sergei Kud-Sverchkov from Russia, who launched in November for an eight-month stay.
Their return home is expected to be in the summer.
The space agency announced that it had canceled its first spacewalk of the year due to the health concern, citing patient privacy. However, NASA's chief health and medical officer Dr. James Polk said that there was no emergency evacuation necessary, but rather a precautionary measure to ensure the crew member's safety.
The four-person crew, which includes astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke from NASA, Kimiya Yui from Japan, and Oleg Platonov from Russia, had been on board the ISS for at least six months. The spacewalk was intended to prepare the station for a future rollout of solar panels to increase its power capabilities.
Fincke is making his fourth visit to the ISS, while Yui is returning for her second stint. Cardman and Platonov are both first-time astronauts on this mission.
Despite this setback, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman praised the agency's swift response to ensure the safety of its astronauts.
The space station is scheduled to be de-orbited by SpaceX in late 2030 or early 2031, with plans for a safe re-entry over the ocean. Three other astronauts are currently living and working on board the ISS, including Chris Williams from NASA and Sergei Mikaev and Sergei Kud-Sverchkov from Russia, who launched in November for an eight-month stay.
Their return home is expected to be in the summer.
So they cut short their mission because one of the crew members had a medical issue? 
I mean, that's not exactly a huge surprise, right? You'd think that if someone's having health problems, you'd want to get them back home ASAP. It's just common sense, you know? 
I mean, come on, folks! If there was no emergency, then why not be upfront about it? 
All this drama and speculation over someone having a little health problem... I just don't get it. 
. And now they're gonna have to deal with the stress of returning early because of a medical issue 
. On the bright side, NASA did do what they had to do to prioritize their astronaut's health, so kudos to that, right? 
But still, it's hard not to get a little bummed about this 
.
i cant believe nasa had to cut short their mission to iss 
hope crew member recovers soon 
and esp the patient privacy thing...citing that as reason for canceling spacewalk feels kinda sketchy 
but still sad about all this 
, can't have anyone taking unnecessary risks up there 
... just imagine being on a space mission for 8 months already? 
... at least they're gonna have a soft landing over the ocean 
.
. And now they have to deal with this medical issue and head back home early? Not ideal, right?
. It's always better to err on the side of caution when it comes to health concerns. I'm sure it's not an easy decision, but at least they're making it.
? And SpaceX is gonna take care of the de-orbiting process in 2030 or so... that's nice 
. nasa's got this, tho - those astronauts are pros! 
So they had to cancel that spacewalk and now the whole crew's coming back early because one of them got a medical issue 
. I just hope they get to do more spacewalks later and make up for lost time 
. And it's always crazy when you think about how much prep goes into something like a solar panel rollout... now those plans have got to wait 
. Still, glad SpaceX is handling the de-orbiting for them in 2031 
And why didn't they just postpone the spacewalk instead of cutting it short altogether? 
It sounds like a lot of unnecessary drama to me. I need some sources on this one, NASA! 
. One minute you're all geared up for a spacewalk, and the next thing you know, someone's medical issue is forcing you back to Earth 
. I get it though, safety first 
. They've been on the ISS for ages, like six months already 
, and now they're being forced to leave early 
. And kudos to Jared Isaacman for being all about ensuring their safety 
! NASA did do everything right, cancelling that spacewalk to prioritize her safety, but still it's no fun for anyone 
The ISS team is gonna be awesome with Zena back in action 
and hey even though we dont get to see the solar panel rollout right now, who knows maybe theres another opportunity in the future? 
... gotta make sure these astronauts are safe, you know? 
.
my friend told me his cousin is an astronaut and he said its super hard work but also kinda cool 
So I'm reading this news about NASA cutting short their ISS mission due to a medical issue on board... it's like, first things first, gotta prioritize that crew member's health over anything else, right? 
I want more info before I start celebrating their swift response... 
...