SpaceX Crew-11 returns after first medical evacuation from ISS

Four Crew-11 astronauts splashed down off San Diego after an early return prompted by a medical concern aboard the International Space Station; NASA says the affected crewmember is stable and has not been identified.

Four astronauts from SpaceX's Crew-11 mission returned to Earth on Jan. 15 with a Pacific Ocean splashdown off San Diego. The mission was shortened after NASA announced a medical concern affecting one International Space Station crewmember. NASA has not identified the affected crewmember and said the person is stable and that privacy concerns limit details. The Crew-11 flight launched Aug. 1, 2025, and lasted 167 days, with 165 spent aboard the station. Known details: - Splashdown occurred Jan. 15 off San Diego at about 3:41 a.m. EST, roughly 10.5 hours after undocking. - The capsule carried NASA's Mike Fincke and Zena Cardman, Japan's Kimiya Yui, and cosmonaut Oleg Platonov, and all four are reported safe. - NASA said the early return was chosen because the capability to diagnose and treat the issue did not exist on the ISS; the agency emphasized the crewmember is stable and declined to release their identity out of privacy. - The station is left with three crew members aboard, and SpaceX's Crew-12 is scheduled to launch around Feb. 15, though NASA has said a small acceleration of that liftoff has been discussed. Summary: This is the first recorded medical evacuation and early return of a crew from the International Space Station. The immediate status is that the returned crewmembers are safe and the affected crewmember is reported stable; the next scheduled crew rotation is the Crew-12 launch around Feb. 15, and the ISS will operate with a reduced crew in the meantime.