Washington: The decision follows NASA’s announcement earlier this week that it was considering an early return of the Crew-11 astronauts due to a medical concern involving one crew member currently aboard the orbital laboratory. The space agency confirmed on January 8 that the crew member is stable but said no further details would be shared, citing medical privacy.
Crew-11 includes NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov. The crew is expected to splash down off the coast of California at approximately 3:40 a.m. on Thursday, January 15.
Mission managers are continuing to closely monitor conditions in the recovery area. NASA said the timing of undocking and splashdown will depend on spacecraft readiness, recovery team preparedness, weather, sea states, and other operational factors. A final splashdown time and location will be confirmed closer to the Crew-11 spacecraft’s departure from the space station.
NASA and SpaceX plan to undock the Crew-11 mission on January 14, following a medical concern with a crew member. The astronaut is stable, but details remain private. The crew, including astronauts from NASA, JAXA, and Roscosmos, is set to splash down off California's coast on January 15, with final timing dependent on various operational factors.