NASA announced that four astronauts will return from the International Space Station more than a month ahead of schedule after an unnamed crew member experienced a medical issue.
The incident marks the first time in history NASA has brought astronauts home from the space station early because of a medical issue, according to CNN.
NASA has not provided details about the nature of the problem, citing privacy concerns. The agency typically does not discuss the specifics of health matters related to astronauts.
A SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule will bring the four-person crew home, disembarking from the ISS as soon as Wednesday at 5 pm ET. The spacecraft is then expected to splash down off the coast of California early the following morning, NASA said in a statement last week.
The affected astronaut is in stable condition, NASA previously confirmed, and is not expected to receive special treatment during the return trip, said Dr James Polk, NASA’s chief health and medical officer at the agency’s headquarters.
The astronaut would also be best served by being evaluated on the ground, Polk added.
“We have a very robust suite of medical hardware on board the International Space Station,” Polk noted during a news conference. “But we don’t have the complete amount of hardware that I would have in the emergency department, for example, to complete a workup of a patient.”
He added, “And in this particular incident, we would like to complete that work up, and the best way to complete that workup is on the ground.”
