Astronauts evacuated from ISS returned to Earth. What is NASA saying?
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said all four Crew-11 astronauts are 'in good spirits' after they landed early Thursday near California during a historic medical evacuation from the ISS.
Eric Lagatta- The four astronauts of Crew-11 have safely returned to Earth after their mission was cut short.
- An unspecified medical issue with one crew member prompted the first-ever medical evacuation from the International Space Station.
- The SpaceX Dragon capsule splashed down off the coast of California, ending the mission about a month early.
Four astronauts on a mission known as Crew-11 have safely landed back on Earth after one of them experienced a health issue in space that forced a historic medical evacuation.
The SpaceX Dragon capsule the crew rode in August to the International Space Station made a water landing early Jan. 15 off the coast of California – bringing the mission to an end about a month early.
Crew-11, a joint endeavor between NASA and SpaceX, may have been cut short, but NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman still referred to it as “a successful mission” during a press conference shortly after the landing. Isaacman added in prepared remarks that the four spacefarers were “all safe and in good spirits."
NASA had never before ended a mission early at the space station since it became operational more than two decades ago. But Isaacman emphasized that the astronauts were well trained and that NASA overall had protocols in place to handle any eventuality, no matter how uncertain.
“While this was the first time we had to return a crew slightly ahead of schedule, NASA was ready,” Isaacman said.
Here's what to know about Crew-11's medical evacuation to Earth, and what's next for the astronauts.
Crew-11 astronauts splash down in California
Deploying its parachutes, a SpaceX Dragon capsule with the four Crew-11 astronauts on board splashed down at 3:41 a.m. ET Thursday, Jan. 15 off the coast of San Diego, California, according to NASA.
The water landing came more than 10 hours after the astronauts undocked at 5:20 p.m. ET Wednesday, Jan. 14 from the International Space Station.
All told, the crew – NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA,) and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov ‒ spent 167 days at the orbital outpost, which they reached Aug. 2, 2025 after launching a day earlier in Florida.
Where is Crew-11 now? Astronauts head to hospital after SpaceX recovery
SpaceX teams aboard a recovery ship raced out to meet the Dragon in the Pacific Ocean and hoist the spacecraft onto the vessel's main deck with the astronauts still inside. Once secured on the seafaring ship, the astronauts were able to exit the Dragon.
As is standard protocol, all four crew members were due to be transported to a San Diego hospital, where they will be medically evaluated and stay overnight. Next, the crew will return to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas to reunite with families and undergo "standard post-flight reconditioning and evaluations," according to NASA.
Why did Crew-11 return early? 1st medical evacuation in ISS history
NASA made the decision to cut the mission short and return all four Crew-11 astronauts to Earth after one of them experienced what the space agency called a "medical concern." Citing privacy, NASA did not specify the nature of the medical issue, nor identify the crew member, who remains stable.
The decision marks the first time a crew aboard the outpost was medically evacuated in the 25-year history of the International Space Station.
Questioned by a reporter about the nature of the astronaut's condition, Isaacman said it was serious enough to warrant bringing the crew home early, but did not elaborate further.
“The crew member of concern is doing fine,” Isaacman had said in prepared remarks. “We will share updates on their health as soon as it is appropriate to do so.”
What is SpaceX Crew-11?
As the name suggests, Crew-11 is NASA and SpaceX's 11th science expedition to the International Space Station.
SpaceX uses its Falcon 9 rocket – one of the most active in the world – to launch the crew missions from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The astronauts themselves ride a Dragon crew capsule – the only U.S. spacecraft capable of carrying astronauts to and from the space station – that separates from the rocket in orbit.
The missions, most of which last about six months, are contracted under NASA's commercial crew program. The program allows the U.S. space agency to pay SpaceX to launch and transport astronauts and cargo to orbit aboard the company's Dragon vehicles, freeing up NASA to focus on its Artemis lunar program and other spaceflight missions, including future crewed voyages to Mars.
Who else is on the International Space Station?
With the departure of the Crew-11 astronauts, just three people remain aboard the International Space Station.
NASA astronaut Chris Williams and Russians Sergey Mikaev and Sergey Kud-Sverchkov, who arrived at the end of November on a Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft, are the newest additions at the orbital laboratory.
Under standard protocol, departing astronauts typically remain aboard the ISS for a few days after a crew arrives to help familiarize the new arrivals with the space station, which NASA refers to as a handover period.
The early return of the Crew-11 astronauts, though, leaves the space station understaffed until the arrival of the mission's Crew-12 replacements. The Crew-12 astronauts are due to arrive at the station as early as Feb. 15, according to NASA.
Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at [email protected]