NASA is evaluating the possibility that they might require taking astronauts home earlier than initially scheduled to the International Space Station due to a medical concern surrounding one of the crew members that resulted in an unexpected termination of the first scheduled spacewalk of 2026, which cast doubt on future missions and the activities of the station.
On Wednesday, the US space agency affirmed that it was tracking a medical issue among one astronaut in the orbital laboratory.
Although NASA emphasised that the situation is stable, it added that the privacy regulations do not allow releasing more information or the identity of the crew member.
Why did NASA delay its spacewalk?
The health problem caused NASA to delay a spacewalk that was planned to take place on Thursday, 8 January. They were to have two astronauts performing the first extravehicular activity (EVA) of the year outside the station.
The agency said in a statement that NASA was delaying the spacewalk on Thursday, 8 January, outside of the International Space Station.
There is a medical issue with one of the crew members that the agency is monitoring that occurred on Wednesday afternoon on the orbital complex.
Who is the astronaut with the medical emergency?
NASA did not reveal more information about the crew member because of medical privacy. The situation is stable. NASA will provide more information, such as the new date of the next spacewalk, in the future.
NASA announced that it was actively considering the possibility of the SpaceX Crew-11 mission having to terminate sooner than originally anticipated.
The agency said that it is of utmost importance to conduct our missions safely and that it is currently considering all available options, which include the possibility of the sooner termination of the mission of Crew-11.
These are the scenarios NASA and our partners drill and prepare to handle in a safe manner. More updates will be made in 24 hours.
Crew-11 schedule
Crew-11 had arrived to the station in a SpaceX Dragon vessel. The following flight, Crew-12, is planned to take off not before 15 February 2026. It is not known yet, whether NASA will be able to schedule the launch or logistical restrictions would allow doing so.
NASA said that it was a case of one crew member who is stable. Approximately at the same time the first announcement was made, the agency also removed its live video feeds of the ISS, as well as, audio communications between astronauts and mission control.
