Mystery Illness: NASA Keeps Quiet on SpaceX Astronaut's Condition

NASA hasn't yet revealed why one of the SpaceX Crew-8 astronauts was hospitalized after returning from the International Space Station (ISS) last month. The astronauts, including NASA's Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, Jeanette Epps, and Russia's Alexander Grebenkin, splashed down off Florida's coast on Oct. 25. Everything seemed fine, but all four were taken to a hospital for checks. Three were quickly released, but one stayed overnight for precaution. NASA hasn't named the astronaut or detailed the illness, citing privacy. Pilot Michael Barratt, also a medical doctor, said spaceflight is still full of unknowns. They're investigating the issue but want to protect the astronaut's privacy. Crew-8 spent 235 days in space, longer than typical six-month rotations. The longest continuous stay in space was 437 days by cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov on the Mir space station in 1994-1995.