NASA’s Crew-11 splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego early Thursday after undocking from the International Space Station due to a medical situation involving one astronaut.
The SpaceX Dragon Endeavour capsule landed on schedule at 12:41 a.m. PT, according to NASA.
Mission Ended Out of Caution
NASA announced Jan. 8 that it would end the mission earlier than planned “out of an abundance of caution” after one crew member experienced a medical issue. Officials said the astronaut was stable and an emergency evacuation was not required.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said returning the crew early was in the astronauts’ best interest.
Undocking and Return
Crew-11 undocked from the ISS at 5:20 p.m. ET Wednesday. In the days leading up to the return, the crew packed cargo, reviewed reentry procedures and transferred hardware aboard the station.
Recovery teams reached the capsule shortly after splashdown.
Who Was Onboard
Bill Ingalls/NASA/EPA/Shutterstock
Crew-11 included two American astronauts, a Japanese astronaut and a Russian cosmonaut. They arrived at the ISS on Aug. 1 and were originally scheduled to remain in orbit until mid-to-late February.
NASA has not identified which astronaut was affected or released details about the condition, citing privacy concerns.
Rare Medical Evacuation
NASA officials said this marked the first medical-related early return from the ISS in 25 years. The mission was part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, which partners with private companies like SpaceX to transport astronauts to and from the space station.
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