The space agency did not identify the astronaut or the health problem, citing patient privacy
The North American space agency (NASA) brought forward the return of a mission aboard the International Space Station due to a health problem suffered by an astronaut.
The space agency reported Thursday that the crew – made up of American, Japanese and Russian astronauts – will return to Earth in the coming days, ahead of schedule.
Due to the health problem, NASA had already canceled its first spacewalk of the year.
The space agency did not identify the astronaut or the health problem, claiming the patient’s privacy, ensuring only that his situation is stable.
It was not an onboard emergency, but the agency is “acting with caution regarding the crew member,” said James Polk, NASA’s chief medical and health officer.
The crew of four astronauts arrived at the orbital laboratory in August, aboard a SpaceX spacecraft, for a stay of at least six months.
The crew consisted of NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, along with Japanese Kimiya Yui and Russian Oleg Platonov.
Fincke and Cardman were to perform the spacewalk to prepare the ground for the future installation of solar panels, which will provide additional power to the space station.
This was Fincke’s fourth visit to the space station and Yui’s second, according to NASA. For Cardman and Platonov, it was their first space flight.
“I am proud of the rapid agency-wide effort to date to ensure the safety of our astronauts,” said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman.
Three other astronauts are currently living and working aboard the space station: NASA’s Chris Williams and Russians Sergei Mikaev and Sergei Kud-Sverchkov, who launched in November aboard a Soyuz rocket for an eight-month stay. They must return home in the summer (from the northern hemisphere).
NASA has contracted SpaceX to eventually de-orbit the space station by the end of 2030 or early 2031.
Plans call for safe reentry over the ocean.
