Ailing astronaut returns to Earth early in NASA’s first medical evacuation

Key Highlights

• “Obviously, we took this action (early return) because it was a serious medical condition,” NASA’s new administrator Jared Isaacman said following splashdown.
• “The astronaut in question is fine right now, in good spirits and going through the proper medical checks.” It was an unexpected finish to a mission that began in August and left the orbiting lab with only one American and two Russians on board.
• NASA and SpaceX said they would try to move up the launch of a fresh crew of four; liftoff is currently targeted for mid-February.
• NASA’s Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke were joined on the return by Japan’s Kimiya Yui and Russia’s Oleg Platonov.
• Officials have refused to identify the astronaut who developed the health problem last week or explain what happened, citing medical privacy.