At a Glance
- Four astronauts are splashing down off San Diego County at 12:41 a.m. Thursday after a medical issue cut their mission short
- This marks the first time in 25 years the space station has seen a mission shortened by an in-flight medical problem
- The astronaut affected is stable, but NASA has not released details to protect medical privacy
- Why it matters: The rare evacuation highlights the risks of long-duration spaceflight and tests new West Coast recovery protocols
A medical emergency in orbit has forced an unprecedented early return for the four-member SpaceX Crew-11 mission, sending a U.S.-Japanese-Russian team streaking toward a midnight splashdown off the San Diego coast.
The crew-NASA’s Mike Fincke and Zena Cardman, Japan’s Kimiya Yui and Russia’s Oleg Platonov-left the International Space Station last August for what was supposed to be a six-month stay. Instead, they will complete their journey after 167 days in space, touching down in the Pacific at roughly 25 miles per hour beneath billowing parachutes.
Timeline to Touchdown
The journey home is choreographed down to the minute:
- 11:15 p.m. PT – NASA’s livestream begins
- 51 minutes before landing – Dragon fires its deorbit burn
- Parachute deployment – first drogues, then mains
- 12:41 a.m. Thursday – Splashdown off San Diego County
SpaceX recovery ships stationed in the larger West Coast landing zone will haul the capsule aboard and secure it, a process repeated here for the first time since the 1975 Apollo-Soyuz mission.
Why the Pacific?
NASA and SpaceX shifted splashdown operations from Florida to California last April, citing a vast recovery area and safer ocean disposal of the Dragon’s jettisoned trunk. David Neville of the San Diego Air and Space Museum said the move places recovery teams “right here in San Diego,” giving Southern Californians a front-row seat to human spaceflight.
Computer models had predicted a medical evacuation once every three years, yet NASA had never faced one in 65 years of human spaceflight-until now. Agency officials confirmed the affected astronaut is stable, but withheld further details, citing medical privacy.
What Happens Next
Once the capsule is craned onto the deck, medical personnel will assess the crew. Neville noted the landing itself won’t be visible to the naked eye, so NASA and News Of Los Angeles will stream the event live on YouTube.
The high-stakes return also serves as a precursor to Artemis II, slated to launch next month and carry astronauts farther from Earth than any humans in history-around the moon for the first time since 1972.
Key Takeaways
- First-ever ISS mission shortened by a medical emergency
- Splashdown set for 12:41 a.m. PT Thursday off San Diego
- Recovery ships stand by in the newly designated Pacific zone
- Live coverage begins 11:15 p.m. PT
