Medical Emergency! ISS Astronauts Evacuated and Return to Earth | WPN World People News

A medical emergency has reportedly occurred aboard the International Space Station (ISS), prompting four astronauts to prematurely terminate their mission and make an emergency return to Earth. This marks the first evacuation in ISS history due to medical reasons.

According to foreign media reports, two American astronauts, one Japanese astronaut, and one Russian astronaut departed the ISS aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft at approximately 5:20 p.m. Eastern Time on the 14th (6:20 a.m. Taiwan time on the 15th). They began their return journey to Earth, which is expected to take about 11 hours, with splashdown planned off the coast of California.

Due to personal privacy considerations, the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has not disclosed details about the affected astronaut or the specific medical condition. NASA stated only that one astronaut working aboard the ISS was facing a “serious health issue” and required an immediate return to Earth for medical treatment.

NASA Chief Health and Medical Officer James Polk said that the four astronauts arrived at the ISS in early August 2025 and were originally scheduled to remain until mid-February of this year for crew handover. He emphasized that the medical emergency was not the result of an injury sustained during mission operations. Although the situation is currently stable, potential risks and an unclear diagnosis led relevant authorities to decide that the four astronauts of the “Crew-11” mission should return several weeks early to undergo more comprehensive diagnostic evaluation and treatment.

At present, the ISS is still being staffed by one American astronaut and two Russian astronauts who arrived in November 2025 aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft. They will continue to remain on the ISS to carry out mission operations.