https://www.livescience.com/space/space-exploration/nasa-cancels-spacewalk-and-considers-early-crew-return-from-iss-due-to-medical-issues [] Skip to main content [dq9uu49vac]Live Science Plus - Join our community JOIN NOW 10 Member Features 24/7 Access Available 25K Active Members [ivdpgonlnu] Exclusive Newsletters Science news direct to your inbox [ivbbltuzps] Member Competitions Win exclusive prizes [l4luqkbsae] Exclusive Content Premium articles & videos [pddr9vgbzk] Early Access First to see new features [dyp0vja1zt] Private Forums Connect with members [lkl5g4scbi] Monthly Rewards Surprise gifts & perks GET LIVE SCIENCE PLUS It's quick and easy to access Live Science Plus, simply enter your email below. We'll send you a confirmation and sign you up for our daily newsletter, keeping you up to date with the latest science news. [ ] [SIGN UP] By submitting your information, you confirm you are aged 16 or over, have read our Privacy Policy and agree to the Terms & Conditions. 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Find out more (*) ( ) Open menu Close main menu Live Science Live Science Sign up to our newsletter Newsletter RSS Sign in * * View Profile * Sign out [ ] Search Search Live Science [ ] * * Space * Health * Planet Earth * Animals * Archaeology * Physics & Math * Technology * Human Behavior * Chemistry * More + Science news + Opinion + Life's Little Mysteries + Science quizzes + Crossword + About us + Newsletters + Follow us + Story archive Don't miss these Illustration of tractor beam in space Space Exploration Tractor beams inspired by sci-fi are real, and could solve the looming space junk problem Artist's illustrations of satellites orbiting Earth Space Exploration Orbiting satellites could start crashing into one another in less than 3 days, theoretical new 'CRASH Clock' reveals Horizontal oval showing orbs of white and yellow light mostly concentrated along the midline with gaseous red swirls fading to the top and bottom of the oval. 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Space Exploration NASA announces unprecedented return of sick ISS astronaut and crew News By Sascha Pare last updated 9 January 2026 NASA has announced the early return of Crew-11 from the International Space Station after an unidentified astronaut experienced a medical problem. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here's how it works. NASA's Crew-11 astronauts posing for a photo. An unnamed member of the ISS's Crew-11 has been reported sick, but NASA says the astronaut's condition is stable. (Image credit: NASA/ Robert Markowitz) Share Share by: * Copy link * Facebook * X * Whatsapp * Reddit * Flipboard Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter NASA has postponed a spacewalk outside the International Space Station (ISS) and announced the early return of its crew due to a medical issue that arose on Wednesday (Jan. 7) with one of the astronauts on board, the agency said. The spacewalk was planned for 8 a.m. ET on Thursday (Jan. 8) to finish preparing a power channel where a new solar array is set to be installed on the ISS. American astronauts Mike Fincke and Zena Cardman were scheduled to exit the space station for 6.5 hours in what would have been Cardman's first spacewalk. (Fincke has already performed nine spacewalks.) NASA did not name the crew member experiencing the medical problem or share any further details about the emergency, but the agency has confirmed that the issue involves one individual whose condition is stable. You may like * A photo of three Chinese astronauts waving to the cameras before launching to space Three Chinese astronauts stranded in space after debris hits their return capsule * China's Tiangong space station with Earth in the background 'Stranded' astronauts aboard Chinese space station are preparing to come home -- but no date has been announced * A photo of a rocket taking off from a launch pad in China Marooned no more! Stranded Chinese astronauts finally have a way home following launch of unmanned 'lifeboat' "These are the situations NASA and our partners train for and prepare to execute safely," a NASA spokesperson wrote in an email update on Thursday. Nevertheless, the agency has confirmed it will bring Fincke, Cardman and two other astronauts, who are part of the current four-person crew aboard the ISS, home early from their stay at the orbital outpost. "Safely conducting our missions is our highest priority, and we are actively evaluating all options, including the possibility of an earlier end to Crew-11's mission," the spokesperson said. RELATED STORIES --NASA offers SpaceX $843 million to destroy the International Space Station --Scientists put moss on the outside of the International Space Station for 9 months -- then kept it growing back on Earth --'Never been seen before': First images from new ISS solar telescope reveal subtle 'fluctuations' in sun's outer atmosphere Crew-11 arrived at the ISS on Aug. 2, 2025. Fincke and Cardman were joined by Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Kimiya Yui and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov for a six-month mission, after which the astronauts were set to be replaced by Crew-12 as part of the space station's regular staffing rotation. Crew-12's launch is scheduled for mid-February. It is unclear what returning Crew-11 home early would mean for the ISS, as such changes to the usual rotation are highly unusual, but there are other astronauts living on the space station at the moment -- including NASA's Christopher Williams and Russian cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergey Mikayev, who arrived at the orbiting lab aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft that destroyed its launching pad in November. Sign up for the Live Science daily newsletter now Get the world's most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to your inbox. [ ][ ]Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands[ ]Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors[Sign me up] By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. NASA has said it will announce a target return date in the coming days. Editor's note: This story has been updated following NASA's confirmation that Crew-11 will return earlier than originally planned. TOPICS international space station NASA Sascha Pare Sascha Pare Social Links Navigation Staff writer Sascha is a U.K.-based staff writer at Live Science. She holds a bachelor's degree in biology from the University of Southampton in England and a master's degree in science communication from Imperial College London. Her work has appeared in The Guardian and the health website Zoe. Besides writing, she enjoys playing tennis, bread-making and browsing second-hand shops for hidden gems. Show More Comments You must confirm your public display name before commenting Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name. Logout Read more A photo of three Chinese astronauts waving to the cameras before launching to space Three Chinese astronauts stranded in space after debris hits their return capsule China's Tiangong space station with Earth in the background 'Stranded' astronauts aboard Chinese space station are preparing to come home -- but no date has been announced A photo of a rocket taking off from a launch pad in China Marooned no more! Stranded Chinese astronauts finally have a way home following launch of unmanned 'lifeboat' Photo of three Chinese astronauts before a launch Three more Chinese astronauts are now stranded in space following successful rescue of their colleagues A photo of the Shenzhou-20 crew (Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie) at a send-off ceremony in China on April 24. 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Rubin Observatory discovers enormous, record-breaking asteroid in first 7 nights of observations illustration of the New Pyramid, featuring drawings of meat, dairy, oils and butter, vegetables and fruit, and whole grains New US food pyramid recommends very high protein diet, beef tallow as healthy fat option, and full-fat dairy LATEST ARTICLES 1. 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