Four astronauts aboard the SpaceX capsule safely returned to Earth early Thursday, ending a mission at the International Space Station that was cut short by a month because of an unnamed crew member’s medical issue.
The capsule splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego at 3:41 a.m. ET on Thursday, according to Space.com. That was approximately 10.5 hours after it undocked from the ISS; the crew left the orbiting lab at 5:20 p.m. ET on Wednesday.
It was the first time in the ISS’s 25-year history that a mission was shortened due to a medical issue.
[ SpaceX Crew-11 to leave ISS today, to splash down Thursday ]
“It’s so good to be home,” capsule commander Zena Cardman said.
Crew-11 included NASA astronauts Cardman and Mike Fincke, Japan’s Kimiya Yui and cosmonaut Oleg Platonov.
Only three people will remain at the space station -- two Russian cosmonauts, Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev; and NASA astronaut Chris Williams.
Crew-12 is expected to head to the ISS in mid-February at the earliest.
The astronauts will undergo routine medical checks. The astronaut with the medical issue is expected to be transported to a hospital in San Diego. That is not a common step after a capsule splashes down, The Associated Press reported.
“Obviously, we took this action (early return) because it was a serious medical condition,” NASA administrator Jared Isaacman said after the capsule splashed down. “The astronaut in question is fine right now, in good spirits and going through the proper medical checks.”
However, NASA said the situation was “stable” and not considered an emergency.
“We want to take advantage of resources on Earth to provide the best care possible. NASA maintains relationships with local hospitals to ensure readiness for any post-landing needs, and for this return, we are utilizing that option as part of our normal preparedness,” NASA spokesperson Leah Cheshier said during the Thursday webcast of the event.
Crew 11 launched on Aug. 1, 2025, and the astronauts were supposed to be on a six-month mission.
But on Jan. 7, NASA announced it was canceling a spacewalk by Cardman and Fincke scheduled for the next day due to a “medical concern” with one of the crew members, Space.com reported.
A day later, NASA said it was ending Crew 11’s mission early to address that concern.