A NASA astronaut at the center of the agency’s first-ever medical evacuation from the International Space Station (ISS) has spoken about how frightening the ordeal was.
In January, NASA disclosed that a “single crew member on board the station” had “experienced a medical situation,” prompting the team to return to Earth sooner than originally scheduled.
While the agency did not initially name the astronaut involved, the crew member was later identified as Mike Fincke after a request from him.
Following coordination between NASA and SpaceX to bring the crew back aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule, Fincke shared more detail about what happened and why the decision was made to come home early.
“Thanks to their quick response and the guidance of our NASA flight surgeons, my status quickly stabilised,” the astronaut said.
“After further evaluation, NASA determined the safest course was an early return for Crew-11 – not an emergency, but a carefully coordinated plan to be able to take advantage of advanced medical imaging not available on the space station. On Jan. 15, we splashed down off the coast of San Diego after an amazing five-and-a-half-month mission.”
He also pointed to the support he received from colleagues on orbit and teams on the ground, crediting their fast action and care for ensuring he recovered safely.
Fincke continued: “I am deeply grateful to my fellow Expedition 74 members — Zena Cardman, Kimiya Yui, Oleg Platonov, Chris Williams, Sergey Kud-Sverchkov, and Sergei Mikayev — as well as the entire NASA team, SpaceX, and the medical professionals at Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla near San Diego. Their professionalism and dedication ensured a positive outcome.”
In comments to the Associated Press, Fincke said the episode began on January 7 as he was eating dinner — just one day before he was due to take part in a scheduled spacewalk.
The veteran astronaut, who has flown to space four times, said he suddenly found himself unable to speak, despite not feeling pain. The change was apparent enough that the rest of the crew quickly became alarmed and called for support.
“It was completely out of the blue. It was just amazingly quick,” Fincke told the Associated Press. “My crewmates definitely saw that I was in distress. It was all hands on deck within just a matter of seconds.”
What triggered the incident has not been confirmed. Doctors reportedly ruled out a heart attack, and Fincke has also said the situation was not caused by choking — leaving the cause uncertain.
Some medical experts have suggested the event may be connected to the cumulative effects of long-duration spaceflight. Fincke has spent 549 days in space, and specialists have theorised that extended time in weightlessness can contribute to unusual or unexpected health complications.