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NASA, SpaceX: Climate seems to be favorable for Crew-11 return
New commander to take cost quickly
Good morning, all. At present is Sunday, Jan. 11 and we’re nearly three days away from NASA’s deliberate medical evacation of four Crew-11 astronauts from the International Space Station on Jan. 14, and four days away from their splashdown on Jan. 15.
We begin today with news that NASA and its international partners have arranged for an accelerated change of command ceremony on the ISS. That ceremony, which was to occur many weeks from now, will now occur on Monday, Jan. 12, at 2:35 p.m. EST (1835 GMT). You’ll be able to watch it live on Space.com, courtesy of NASA. Joining Fincke on the trip to Earth will be Crew-11 commander Zena Cardman of NASA and mission specialists Kimiya Yui of Japan and Oleg Platonaov of Russia. NASA called for their early return after a medical issue arose with one of the four on Jan. 7.
So why does this command change involve the Crew-11 medical evacuation? It’s because the current commander of the International Space Station’s joint Expedition 74 mission is Crew-11 pilot Mike Fincke, a veteran ISS astronaut who will now return to Earth early.
Fincke will hand over control of the ISS to Russian cosmonaut Sergey Kud-Sverchkov, who arrived at the station in November with fellow cosmonaut Sergei Mikaev and NASA astronaut Chris Williams.
Tariq Malik
How to watch Crew-11’s medical evac from ISS
The touchdown livestreams will start early Jan. 15 at 2:15 a.m. EST (0615 GMT), with splashdown set for 3:40 a.m. EST (0740 GMT).
This will probably be our final replace of the day, barring any new replace from NASA. We’ll be again on Sunday to extra on the packing and different preparations of the crew forward of their unplanned departure from the ISS.
Thanks for tuning in.
Tariq Malik
Japan’s Crew-11 astronaut takes picture farewell of ISS
Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui is saying some farewells to the Japan-built part of the Worldwide Area Station as he and his Crew-11 crewmates prepare for their medical evacuation from the orbiting lab on Jan. 14.
Yui shared a photo on Friday that he took from a window on the Japan Aerospace Exploration Company’s Kibo module, the biggest science laboratory on the area station, displaying the module’s airlock and experiment platform. The area station’s predominant truss and two big photo voltaic arrays might be seen, in addition to the blue arc of the Earth under.
“At present was a really busy day as properly, so I used to be working fairly late.,” Yui wrote. “I hadn’t taken the pictures to introduce to everybody, so I simply shot them from the window of ‘Kibo’ a short time in the past. Since I will quickly must bid farewell to this view as properly, I wish to burn it firmly into my eyes, and much more so, into my coronary heart.”
Yui is on his second journey to the ISS with the Crew-11 mission. He is been taking spectacular pictures of Earth and area from the station, in addition to movies just like the one right here shared by Area.com author Anthony Wooden:
Astronaut on ISS captures spectacular orbital video of zodiacal gentle, auroras and the Pleiades
Yui will return to Earh on Jan. 15 within the wee hours of the morning with Crew-11 crewmates Mike Fincke, Zena Cardman (each of NASA) and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platanov, with their SpaceX Dragon capsule splashing down within the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California.
Tariq Malik
Crew-11 early return will depart skeleton crew on ISS
Tariq Malik
NASA Timeline revealed for Crew-11 medical evacuation
Wednesday, Jan. 14 – all times in EST
- 3 p.m. – Hatch closure coverage begins on NASA TV and streaming platforms
- 3:30 p.m. – SpaceX Dragon hatch and ISS hatch closed for undocking
- There will be a break here between hatch closure coverage and undocking views.
- 4:45 p.m. – Undocking coverage begins
- 5 p.m. – Undocking and initial ISS departure
- There will be a break here in coverage between undocking and landing.
Thursday, Jan. 15 – all times in EST
- 2:15 a.m – Landing coverage begins on NASA TV and streaming platforms
- 2:50 a.m. – Dragon Deorbit burn
- 3:40 a.m. – Splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off California coast
- 5:45 a.m. – Post-landing return to Earth press conference
This current timeline could change as NASA and SpaceX monitor weather at the splashdown site.
“Mission managers continue monitoring conditions in the recovery area, as undocking of the SpaceX Dragon depends on spacecraft readiness, recovery team readiness, weather, sea states, and other factors,” NASA wrote in an update. “NASA and SpaceX will choose a particular splashdown time and placement nearer to the Crew-11 spacecraft undocking.”
Tariq Malik
SpaceX prepares for Crew-11 medical evacuation
SpaceX says it is Dragon spacecraft on the Worldwide Area Station is able to return its 4 Crew-11 astronauts house in an unprecedented medical evacuation on Jan. 14 and 15.
“Dragon and Crew-11 are focused t undock from the area station no sooner than Wednesday, January 14,” SpaceX wrote in a mission update on X late yesterday.
Dragon and Crew-11 are focused to undock from the area station no sooner than Wednesday, January 14 https://t.co/L6ThXkTHbaJanuary 10, 2026
The SpaceX assertion got here on the heels of NASA’s announcement that the Crew-11 astronauts have been scheduled to undock from the area station on Jan. 14 and splashdown off the coast of California early on Jan. 15.
Splashdown is now set for 3:40 a.m. EST (0740 GMT) on Thursday, Jan. 15, NASA officers mentioned.
The Crew-11 Dragon spacecraft will return NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke to Earth alongside Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platanov.
NASA determined to evacuate the crew, which make up 4 of the seven astronauts at the moment aboard the Worldwide Area Station, on Jan. 8 after an apparently severe medical concern arose with one of many 4 Crew-11 astronauts. The astronaut is secure, however NASA officers opted for a “managed medical evacuation” with a view to present astronaut higher therapy on the bottom, NASA chief Jared Isaacman has mentioned.
Tariq Malik
NASA planning on Jan. 15 return of Crew-11 astronauts
NASA is focusing on no sooner than 5 p.m. EST (2200 GMT) on Jan. 14 for the early departure of the Crew-11 astronauts after an undisclosed medical incident aboard the International Space Station.
The crew will deorbit aboard Endeavour, with splashdown expected early Jan. 15, off the coast of California, “depending on weather and recovery conditions,” according to a post from the area station’s account on X.
.@NASA and @SpaceX goal undocking Crew-11 from the Worldwide Area Station no sooner than 5pm ET on Jan. 14, with splashdown off California focused for early Jan. 15 relying on climate and restoration situations. https://t.co/Y89iIj3jEYJanuary 10, 2026
Josh Dinner
Crew-11 checks fits, begins packing for medical evac
The Dragon strain fits are the identical black and white SpaceX spacesuits worn by Crew-11 astronauts Mike Fincke, Zena Cardman, Kimiya Yui and Oleg Platanov throughout their launch in August 2025. Cardman will command the Dragon flight house with Fincke as pilot. Kimuya and Platanov will function mission specialists.
The astronauts have additionally begun packing for his or her journey house.
“The foursome started amassing their private gadgets and packing them for stowage aboard the spacecraft,” NASA wrote within the replace.
Cardman hung out immediately flushing water from and powerfing down two NASA spacesuits on the ISS. She and Fincke have been supposed to make use of the fits throughout a spacewalk on Jan. 8 and one other one subsequent week. Each spacewalks werte canceled as a result of medical situation with one of many Crew-11 astronauts.
Yui and Platanov hung out on last science experiments of their mission, together with one by Platanov learning how the interior lining of blood vessels work to maintain blood flowing in area, with a view to keep away from the formation of blood clots.
Tariq Malik
Astronaut medical situation not an damage, NASA says
You possibly can learn our look back at medical issues in space here by Josh Dinner.
The months-long missions on the ISS can have lasting effects on the human body, forcing astronauts to readapt to live on Earth when they return, including rebuilding the muscle mass and bone density lost in space. At least one astronaut suffered a blood clot in orbit due to deep vein thrombisis at the two-month mark of a planned six-month mission. Physicians on Earth were able to devise a treatment for the astronaut to implement in space to address the issue and complete the mission’s full duration.
Not NASA’s first medical issue in space
While NASA’s current astronaut medical issue on the International Space Station has led to the first-ever planned medical evacuation of a crew from the orbiting lab, it is far from the first time the space agency has had to deal with a medical concern in orbit.
Dr. James Polk, NASA’s chief medical officer, told reporters late Thursday that medical issues we find common on Earth – like a toothache or other mild malady – are the same sort of things that have historically occurred with astronauts. The specific nature of the current issue, and the astronaut who experienced it, are being withheld for privacy reasons, he added.
Still, there is a record of medical concerns on the ISS, including ones that led to delays for spacewalks or other tasks.
In August 2020, NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei and his crewmate Akhiko Hoshide had their planned spacewalk called off days before the event due to a minor medical issue that remained undisclosed. And in 2008, European Space Agency astronaut Hans Schlegel was replaced on his ISS spacwalk by NASA astronaut Stanley Love due to a medical concern.
Tariq Malik
Former astronauts weigh-in on ISS situation
Former Canadian Space Agency astronaut Chris Hadfield posted his thoughts regarding NASA’s recent decision to fly Crew-11 astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) back to Earth due to an ongoing medical issue.
“Big decision by NASA leadership, with multiple domino impacts on operations, but I’m glad to see, as always, crew health and safety come first,” Hadfield wrote on X.
Usually, NASA overlaps incoming and outgoing crews aboard the ISS, however with the potential for evacuating Crew-11 earlier than Crew-12’s arrival, Hadfield voiced confidence. “The Station will probably be extra weak till the substitute crew of 4 can launch, however we have now deep expertise operating the place with simply 3 astronauts for some time,” he wrote.
Former NASA astronaut Ed Lu additionally weighed in on X. “The bothered area station astronaut … is nearly actually feeling they’ve let down the crew. We have been skilled to get the mission achieved. However I do belief NASA to do the best factor right here.”
It is nonetheless unclear when precisely Crew-11 will depart the station, or when and if NASA will decide an earlier launch date for Crew-12.
For the primary time within the 25-year historical past of the Worldwide Area Station, we’ve had a severe sufficient medical emergency in area to convey a crew house early. Huge determination by @nasa management, with a number of domino impacts on operations, however I’m glad to see, as all the time, crew… pic.twitter.com/p3ObJh497DJanuary 8, 2026
Josh Dinner
ISS astronaut evacuation will not have an effect on Artemis 2 moon launch
NASA’s plan to rturn the 4 Crew-11 astronauts house early from the Worldwide Area Station and speed up the launch of their substitute crew, Crew-12, from Florida mustn’t affect the company’s plans to additionally launch one other crew of astronauts to the moon in February.
NASA chief Jared Isaacman mentioned Thursday that NASA’s Artemis 2 mission, which is able to launch 4 astronauts across the moon, will remain on track to launch in early February. The mission will lift off from the Kennedy Space Center, where SpaceX will also launch the Crew-12 astronauts. The Crew-11 astronauts will also have to splashdown off the Florida coast before then.
“These would be totally separate campaigns at this point,” Isaacman said during a Jan. 8 press conference to provide an update on NASA’s decision to end Crew-11 early. “There’s no reason to believe at this point in time that there’d be any overlap that we have to deconflict for.”
You can read the full story here by Staff Writer Josh Dinner.
NASA prepares to return 4 astronauts home early
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman announced his decision to bring the Crew-11 astronauts home early on their SpaceX Dragon capsule on Thursday (Jan. 8). The agency is now drawing up plans to both undock the Crew-11 Dragon and splashdown off the Florida coast early, while also accelerating the planned launch of a replacement crew on the SpaceX Crew-12 mission.
The departure of the Crew-11 astronauts will leave NASA astronaut Chris Williams and two cosmonauts, Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikayev, on their own on the ISS. Crew-11 launched to the ISS in August 2025, with Williams and crew launching on a Soyuz rocket in November.
Watch this space for more updates on this developing story.
Tariq Malik
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