NASA is assessing the possibility of cutting short a mission aboard the International Space Station after one crew member developed an unspecified medical issue, prompting the agency to cancel a planned spacewalk.
The space agency said the astronaut is in stable condition and emphasized that all options are being reviewed, including an early return of the Crew-11 mission, a step that is uncommon but not unprecedented in NASA operations.
The concern surfaced Wednesday afternoon, leading NASA to call off a 6.5-hour spacewalk that was to be carried out by commander Mike Fincke and flight engineer Zena Cardman. The task would have involved installing external hardware on the orbiting laboratory.
Crew-11, which launched in August, includes two US astronauts, a Japanese astronaut and a Russian cosmonaut, and was originally scheduled to return to Earth around May. Astronauts on the ISS typically serve six- to eight-month rotations and have access to limited medical resources while in orbit.
Medical issues involving astronauts are rarely discussed publicly, reflecting NASA's long-standing policy of protecting crew privacy. While spacewalks are routine, they are physically demanding and carry inherent risks, making crew health a critical factor in mission planning.