A NASA astronaut was taken to the hospital due to an undisclosed medical concern shortly after landing back on Earth following a nearly eight-month mission on the International Space Station (ISS). NASA provided minimal details on the incident but confirmed that the astronaut was brought in for further evaluation after the demanding mission, which concluded early Friday with a splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico.
The unidentified astronaut, along with fellow U.S. astronauts Matthew Dominick and Michael Barratt, Russian cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin, and U.S. astronaut Jeanette Epps, returned aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule, marking the end of their 235-day mission. This mission was notably longer than the standard six-month duration for ISS expeditions, setting a new record for SpaceX’s reusable Crew Dragon vehicle, which has become a reliable shuttle for NASA’s space travel needs.
Upon return, all crew members were immediately transported to a medical facility as a safety measure. However, it later emerged that only one of the astronauts needed extended observation, leading NASA to fly the individual to Ascension Sacred Heart Pensacola hospital near the landing site in Florida. The agency refrained from revealing any specifics regarding the astronaut’s condition to maintain privacy. Meanwhile, the remaining three crew members were discharged and have since returned to Houston.
NASA shared an update on the astronaut still hospitalized, stating, “The one astronaut who remains at Ascension is in stable condition under observation as a precautionary measure.” The space agency emphasized it would not disclose further information about the nature of the medical issue.
Following their arrival back on Earth, Russia’s space agency, Roscosmos, posted an image on Telegram showing Grebenkin smiling and standing, with the message: “After a space mission and splashdown, cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin feels great!” The return of the Crew Dragon capsule had initially been delayed due to two hurricanes in the southeastern U.S., which affected splashdown zones in the Gulf region.
SpaceX’s Crew Dragon, which has now completed 44 flights to the ISS, is NASA’s current transport option to and from the space station. Boeing’s Starliner, designed as an alternative for crewed missions, has faced prolonged development setbacks, leaving Crew Dragon as the only operational American vehicle for NASA astronauts. The capsule that returned the crew recently completed its fifth mission, logging an impressive total of 702 days in orbit since its debut flight.
The capsule undocked from the ISS on Wednesday, successfully reentered Earth’s atmosphere early Friday, and deployed parachutes before making a safe water landing. Although NASA praised the operation’s success, Richard Jones, NASA’s deputy manager of the Commercial Crew Program, noted two minor issues with the parachute deployment during the post-splashdown briefing. Jones explained that the first set of parachutes encountered “debris strikes,” and one of the four main parachutes experienced a slight delay in opening.
Nonetheless, these incidents did not compromise the crew’s safety. Jones praised the “ideal” conditions during the splashdown, facilitating a smooth recovery for all on board.
SpaceX’s vice president of flight reliability, William Gerstenmaier, a former NASA official, highlighted the milestone achieved by the Crew Dragon craft, underscoring its repeated reliability and performance on NASA missions.
Crew Returns Safely Despite Minor Parachute Concerns
This mission demonstrates the increasing robustness of SpaceX’s Crew Dragon fleet in supporting long-duration space travel, and though minor technical issues were noted, the safety of the crew was never compromised. The unnamed astronaut remains in stable condition, marking another successful but challenging mission for NASA and its crew.
