to delay the January 8 spacewalk, owing to a “medical issue with a crew member that surfaced […] aboard the orbital facility.” NASA referred to privacy matters, stating it’s “not suitable” for them to disclose further details regarding the crew member involved. There is uncertainty surrounding the situation, with conflicting reports being largely speculative. The spacewalk was set to be performed by NASA’s Zena Cardman and Michael Fincke, alongside two other astronauts making up Crew-11 — including Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui and Roscosmos astronaut Oleg Platanov.
In an email update, NASA provided a bit more insight into the situation: “Ensuring the safety of our missions is our top priority, and we are currently assessing all options, including the potential for a premature conclusion to Crew-11’s mission.” The email continued: “These are the scenarios NASA and our partners prepare for and are ready to execute safely. We will share additional updates within the next 24 hours.”
An update was given during a January 8 press conference led by NASA administrator Jared Isaacman. The conclusion: The Crew-11 mission will be concluding prematurely, with the evacuation of the four team members scheduled to occur within the next few days.
Although this incident brings the space mission to an early conclusion, Crew-11 arrived at the ISS in August 2025, and is already nearing the end of their six-month assignment — which, if everything proceeded as planned, would have wrapped up at the start of February 2026.
Space exploration can be difficult in a general sense: While in orbit, astronauts adhere to a demanding training regimen, as merely three days in space can lead to cognitive health deterioration. Blood samples from astronauts <a href="https://www.bgr.com/science/astronauts-blood-sh