Crew-11 returns to Earth early after astronaut reports health problems

The crewed spacecraft Crew Dragon, carrying the members of the Crew-11 mission — including Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov — has departed the International Space Station, Roscosmos announced.

Alongside Platonov, the Crew-11 team consists of three additional astronauts: NASA’s Zena Cardman and Michael Fincke, and JAXA astronaut Kimiya Yui.

Splashdown of the spacecraft is scheduled for January 15 off the coast of California.

The departure follows an earlier statement by NASA Director Jared Isaacman, who disclosed that one of the astronauts aboard the ISS had developed a health issue.

On January 7, a member of the station’s crew experienced medical problems, though Isaacman did not reveal the astronaut’s identity or diagnosis. After consulting with NASA’s chief medical officer, JD Polk, and with agency leadership, Isaacman decided that the Crew-11 team should return to Earth.

NASA stressed that the return of Crew-11 should not be regarded as an emergency evacuation.

Crew-11 was launched in August of last year, with a standard mission duration of approximately six months. The next rotation mission, SpaceX Crew-12, is planned for launch to the ISS no earlier than February 15, 2026.

By Tamilla Hasanova