Astronauts begin return from space station after 'medical concern'

NASA says four Crew-11 astronauts will return earlier than planned after a crew member had a medical concern; officials described it as "not an emergency evacuation" and said the person is stable.

Four astronauts will begin their return from the International Space Station after their mission was shortened because of a medical concern involving a crew member. NASA said the situation is "not an emergency evacuation" and that the affected crew member is stable. The mission, known as Crew-11, arrived at the station last August and had been scheduled to return in May. NASA cancelled a planned spacewalk and said the timing of the return will depend on weather conditions. Known details: - NASA described the event as "not an emergency evacuation" and said officials were erring on the side of caution. - The agency stated the affected crew member is stable and did not release medical details for privacy reasons. - Crew-11 consists of Zena Cardman, Mike Fincke, Kimiya Yui and Oleg Platonov; their mission was cut short. - NASA said the crew will undock no earlier than 5:05pm Eastern on Wednesday and is set to splash down off the coast of California at 3:41am local time on Thursday, weather permitting. Summary: NASA has moved up return plans for Crew-11 following a reported medical concern and cancelled a scheduled spacewalk. The crew member is reported stable, and the planned splashdown time and undocking window are dependent on weather.