NASA crew member experienced 'medical situation,' ISS Crew-11 to return home

NASA announced four astronauts with ISS Crew-11 will return home before its expected departure after the agency decided to postpone its first spacewalk of the year outside the International Space Station.

What we know:

Following the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's announcement to postpone its spacewalk, which was originally set for this morning, NASA held a press conference on Jan. 8, announcing that ISS Crew-11 will return to Earth so that a crew member with medical concerns can get the care they need. 

In a Jan. 7 statement, NASA said Thursday's spacewalk – Spacewalk 94 – was postponed as the agency is monitoring the medical concerns of a single crew member. The medical concern occurred while the crew member was aboard the orbital complex, NASA said. The agency reported that the crew member experienced a "medical situation" and is now stable, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said on Jan. 8. 

"Crew safety has always remained our highest priority," Amit Kshatriya, associate administrator, said. "We never take shortcuts. We never compromise when it comes to protecting our astronauts." 

Four astronauts to return home

In a few days, the Dragon Endeavor spacecraft will leave the International Space Station with Pilot Mike Fincke, Commander Zena Cardman, JAXA astronaut Kimiya Yui and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov. Flight Engineer Chris Williams, who arrived on the ISS on Nov. 27, will remain onboard to support the station's operations and scientific efforts, Isaacman said. 

Isaacman said the crew has completed the majority of their mission objectives. 

Watch the announcement

The backstory:

Spacewalk 94 was set to start on Thursday at 8 a.m. It's not known which crew member had a medical emergency and what the medical concerns were. 

"Safely conducting our missions is our highest priority, and we are actively evaluating all options, including the possibility of an earlier end to Crew-11’s mission," NASA said in an updated statement. "These are the situations NASA and our partners train for and prepare to execute safely. We will provide further updates within the next 24 hours." 

Who was going on the spacewalk? 

This spacewalk was planned to have two NASA astronauts conducting installations and repairs to the ISS. 

NASA astronauts with Expedition 74, Mike Fincke and Zena Cardman, were set to conduct spacewalk 94. 

Expedition 74 is a seven-person crew that began in December 2025 and will end in the summer of 2026. 

Fincke and Cardman planned to install a solar array to provide more power to the orbital laboratory, including critical support of its safe and controlled de-orbit, NASA said. 

This will be Cardman's first space walk and Fincke's 10th – tying him as the NASA astronaut with the most spacewalks.

Fincke will be wearing a red suit with stripes and Cardman will be wearing an unmarked suit. 

At this time, a new date for spacewalk 94 has not been released. NASA has also not announced which astronauts will conduct spacewalk 95. 

How serious is the astronaut's condition? 

NASA declined to share further information on the crew member's condition for their medical privacy. The astronaut has not been publicly identified. 

The astronaut is stable and does not need an immediate transport to Earth, however, the ISS doesn't have the "complete hardware" an emergency department has to complete a workup of a patient, Dr. James Polk, chief health and medical officer at NASA, said. 

"The medical incident was sufficient enough that we were concerned about the astronaut that we would like to complete that work up. And, the best way to complete that workup is on the ground where we have a full suite of medical testing hardware," he said. "…We're erring on the side of caution." 

What is the International Space Station? 

The International Space Station, ISS, is a low orbit home and research facility for astronauts. The ISS, which was launched 25 years ago, brings together international flight crews, multiple launch vehicles, scientific research and more, NASA said. 

In its 25 years, astronauts have conducted over 250 space walks, including five spacewalks in 2025. Here's a list of NASA's previous International Space Station spacewalks.

What's next:

Crew-12 is ready to launch as early as mid-February, Isaacman said. NASA is evaluating their timeline to include earlier launch opportunities, he said. 

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