Crew-11 Returns Safely to Earth After Early Departure From International Space Station

Four astronauts who left the International Space Station (ISS) ahead of schedule splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego, California, at 12:41 a.m. PT on Thursday. The landing concluded NASA’s Crew-11 mission after the agency decided to shorten the assignment because one crewmember required medical attention.

The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft Endeavor, which had carried the crew to the orbital laboratory on 1 August 2025, completed the return trip without incident. Recovery teams stationed near the targeted splashdown zone reached the capsule shortly after it hit the water and began standard post-landing procedures. NASA confirmed that the unidentified astronaut remains in stable condition, a status first reported when the decision to bring the crew home was announced on 8 January.

Crew-11 consists of NASA astronauts Mike Fincke and Zena Cardman, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov. The group had originally been scheduled to remain on the ISS until mid-to-late February, completing roughly a six-month rotation focused on maintenance tasks, scientific investigations, and technology demonstrations. Their departure marks the first medically driven early return from the ISS in 25 years of continuous human presence aboard the outpost.

The decision to end the mission was made “out of an abundance of caution” after flight surgeons evaluated the affected astronaut’s condition. NASA officials emphasized that an emergency evacuation was unnecessary because the situation was stable and did not pose an immediate risk to life or to station operations. Instead, agency leadership opted for an orderly departure, giving the crew time to prepare spacecraft systems, pack research samples, and transfer hardware.

Undocking took place at 5:20 p.m. ET on Wednesday, allowing Endeavor to perform a series of orbital maneuvers that aligned the vehicle with its splashdown corridor. Throughout the approximately seven-hour free-flight phase, mission controllers in Hawthorne, California, and Houston, Texas, monitored life-support performance, atmospheric re-entry parameters, and weather conditions in the landing zone. All indicators remained within nominal limits.

The safe return underscores the role of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, which partners with private companies to transport astronauts to and from low Earth orbit. SpaceX’s current flight was the 11th rotational mission under the initiative and the 12th time the company has flown humans. Additional details about the program’s objectives are available on NASA’s official website (nasa.gov/commercialcrew).

Imagem: Internet

During their five-month stay on the ISS, Crew-11 members supported research ranging from human physiology to materials science. In November, they helped commemorate the 25th anniversary of the station’s first resident expedition, a milestone that highlighted more than two decades of uninterrupted human activity in orbit. The crew also assisted visiting cargo vehicles and performed routine maintenance on modules, power systems, and environmental controls.

With Crew-11 now on Earth, NASA will continue medical evaluations of the affected astronaut and standard de-orbit debriefings for the entire team. The agency has not disclosed specifics of the illness, citing privacy considerations. Planning for future crew rotations remains on track, and the ISS is still occupied by Expedition 71 personnel, who will maintain station operations until the next scheduled crew arrival later this year.

Crédito da imagem: NASA