NASA has evacuated four astronauts from the International Space Station and returned them safely to Earth following undisclosed medical concerns.
According to Punch, the Crew-11 team splashed down in the Pacific Ocean early Thursday, cutting short a mission that was originally scheduled to run until mid-February. NASA said the return was not classified as an emergency but explained that unresolved medical questions and “lingering risk” made an early departure necessary.
The space agency has not disclosed the nature of the medical issue or whether it affected one or all four crew members, citing privacy reasons.
The astronauts had been on the ISS since early August. This marks the first medical evacuation in the space station’s 25-year history.
