Astronaut Health Concern: NASA Eyes Emergency ISS Evacuation

Up in the sky, far above us, something unexpected happened. One of the astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) had a health scare. NASA, the big space agency, is now thinking about bringing the astronauts back to Earth earlier than planned. The astronaut who is not feeling well is okay for now. But NASA wants to be careful. They are looking at all their options. This includes ending the mission of Crew-11 sooner than expected. Crew-11 has four people: Zena Cardman, Mike Fincke, Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov. NASA has never had to bring an astronaut back early because of health reasons. But they always have a plan. There are special vehicles ready to bring the crew back to Earth if needed. Because of this health issue, NASA canceled a spacewalk that was supposed to happen. Commander Fincke and flight engineer Cardman were going to install some new equipment outside the ISS. But now, that won't happen. NASA said they will share more details later. It's not common for spacewalks to be canceled. But it has happened before. In 2021, a spacewalk was called off because an astronaut had a pinched nerve. In 2024, another spacewalk was canceled because an astronaut felt uncomfortable in their spacesuit.Earlier on the day of the canceled spacewalk, NASA said everything was ready. Cardman and Fincke were getting their tools ready. Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata and NASA astronaut Chris Williams, who arrived at the ISS in November, were helping them review the spacewalk procedures. Later that day, Wakata asked for a private talk with a flight surgeon. These private talks are normal. Astronauts can discuss their health privately. But we don't know if this talk was about the health issue NASA mentioned. Astronauts usually stay on the ISS for six to eight months. They have basic medical supplies. If they need to come back early, they would use the same capsule that brought them to the ISS. Crew-11 arrived at the ISS on August 1, 2025. They were supposed to come back in late February. But now, that might change. The ISS always needs astronauts. They do important jobs like maintenance, repairs, and experiments. These are things that robots can't do. In the past, astronauts have stayed on the ISS even when things went wrong. In 2024, Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore had to stay longer because their spacecraft, the Boeing Starliner, had problems. But NASA said they could stay because there were no health issues.