NASA has revealed details of an incident aboard the ISS that prompted the first medical evacuation in the space station’s 25-year history.
On 7 January, astronaut Mike Fincke “experienced a medical event that required immediate attention from my incredible crewmates”, according to a statement by him, which NASA shared online.
“Thanks to their quick response and the guidance of our NASA flight surgeons, my status quickly stabilised”, wrote the astronaut.
Astronaut Mike Fincke was helped out of a spacecraft after returning to Earth in January. Pic: Reuters
NASA decided the safest course of action was to bring him and the other three members of Crew-11 back from the International Space Station so Mr Fincke could have advanced medical imaging, that was not available on the ISS.
“[It was] not an emergency but a carefully coordinated plan,” said Mr Fincke.
The crew, which also included fellow NASA astronaut Zena Cardman, Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov, splashed down on 15 January after spending five and a half months on the space station.
As well as thanking his crew, NASA and SpaceX’s team and his doctors, Mr Fincke said he is doing “very well and continuing standard post-flight reconditioning” at NASA’s base in Houston.
“Spaceflight is an incredible privilege and sometimes it reminds us just how human we are,” he said.
After the crew returned to Earth in January, NASA administrator Jared Isaacman said it was a “serious situation” in orbit but that the crew member in question had been safe and stable ever since.
Mike Fincke at Johnson Space Center in Houston on 29 January. Pic: Josh Valcarcel/NASA
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The evacuation left only three crew members on board the space station – one American and two Russians – and prompted NASA to pause space walks and reduce research output.
They were joined by four new astronauts in February and normal service has resumed.
