Agency says US-Japanese-Russian crew of four will return to Earth in the coming days, earlier than planned
Nasa has ordered its first medical evacuation from the International Space Station in its 25-year history after an astronaut in the orbital laboratory fell ill with a “serious” but undisclosed issue.
The US space agency said in a press conference that the crew of four led by the US commander Zena Cardman would return to Earth in the coming days, earlier than planned.
Officials did not identify the astronaut or the issue, citing patient privacy. “This was a serious medical condition,” Nasa’s administrator, Jared Isaacman, said. “That is why we’re pursuing this path.”
The decision to evacuate the team in a space capsule comes after a series of hurried Nasa statements about a medical situation that arose on Wednesday. The development later forced the agency to cancel its first spacewalk of the year.
