NASA Is Evacuating The Crew From The ISS

What was the reason for the sudden decision?

As reported by The New York Times, for the first time in a quarter-century of International Space Station operations, the crew has been forced to leave orbit early for medical reasons.

The decision to return the four members of the Crew-11 mission was made by NASA chief Jared Isaacman on January 8. The agency maintains confidentiality and did not name the astronaut or a specific diagnosis, but emphasized that the patient's condition is assessed as "absolutely stable."

NASA Chief Doctor James Polk explained the situation as follows: leaving a person in orbit with an uncertain diagnosis in conditions of limited medical resources is too great a risk. Therefore, management decided to exercise caution and return the crew to Earth as part of a "controlled medical evacuation." NASA officials note that this is not an emergency, but a measured precaution.

In the coming days, the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft will undock from the ISS and head toward Earth for a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego. NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Michael Fink, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Kimiya Yui and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov will return home. Their mission began in August and was not due to end until next month, after the arrival of the shift.

It is reported that Fink and Cardman were scheduled to perform a six-hour spacewalk on Thursday, January 8, to upgrade the station's power supply system. However, it was postponed. According to Dr. Polk, the medical issue had nothing to do with the spacewalk or the operation of the station itself.

This is the fourth mission to the space station for Michael Fink and the second for Kimiya Yui, according to NASA. Cardman and Platonov went to space for the first time

As part of the mission, some crew members are participating in research to assess the effects of deep space travel on human health. That work includes studying how the body metabolizes B vitamins in space and how body fluids are redistributed in constant weightlessness.

After Crew-11 departs, three cosmonauts who arrived there on a Soyuz spacecraft in November will remain on the station. They will have to reduce the amount of scientific research to keep the station running with a smaller crew.

Now NASA and SpaceX are considering moving the launch of the next mission, Crew-12, to an earlier date. At the same time, the leadership assures that the situation will not affect the schedule of the mission Artemis II - a flight around the moon, scheduled for next month.

You can support the website Charter97.org

MULTI-CURRENCY ACCOUNT FOR ASSISTANCE:

Bank's name: Bank Millennium S.A.
Address: ul. Stanislawa Zaryna, 2A, 02-593, Warszawa
IBAN: PL97116022020000000216711123
SWIFT: BIGBPLPW
Name of the account holder: Fundacja “KARTA ‘97”
Purpose/title of payment: Donation for statuary aims

You can contact us by the e-mail [email protected]