ISS stint ends early as NASA aborts Crew-11 over crew illness
(2026/01/12)
- Reference: 1768227966
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2026/01/12/iss_command_handover/
- Source link:
NASA astronaut Mike Fincke has handed command of the ISS to Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Kud-Sverchkov as Fincke and the rest of Crew-11 are scheduled to head back to Earth on Wednesday.
The departure is more than a month earlier than planned and comes after NASA's [1]decision to end the Crew-11 mission due to a medical concern involving one of the four astronauts. The issue could not be addressed using the facilities aboard the orbiting outpost.
NASA ended a tumultuous week for ISS operations by [2]confirming the return of NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, JAXA astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov.
[3]
Fincke and Cardman were scheduled to perform activities outside the ISS on January 8. However, the spacewalk was postponed due to the undisclosed medical concern. By the end of the day, NASA confirmed the crew were coming home prematurely.
[4]Historic NASA test towers face their final countdown
[5]Congress ctrl-Zs bulk of proposed cuts to NASA science
[6]NASA tries Curiosity rover's Mastcam to work out where MAVEN might be
[7]Isaacman finally confirmed as NASA boss after Trump derailed first attempt
Assuming factors including weather conditions at the recovery site cooperate, the Crew Dragon's hatch will be closed at 1530 (EST), and undocking will occur at 1700. Splashdown is expected at 0340 on Thursday, January 15.
The exact nature of the medical issue remains unclear, and NASA is protecting the privacy of the astronaut concerned. The ailing astronaut is stable, and managers have not had to perform an emergency deorbit to bring the individual back to Earth. This will be the first time in the ISS's history of crewed operations that a mission is curtailed due to crew illness.
[8]
NASA hopes to bring forward the launch of Crew-12 to shorten the period where the ISS will have a crew of three, including a single US astronaut, Chris Williams. However, given that Crew-12 will inevitably require additional training to complete the tasks originally expected of Crew-11, such as the spacewalk, it is unlikely many days can be shaved off the flow toward Crew-12's February launch.
NASA has a busy couple of months ahead. There is a chance that Artemis II could launch, with the first opportunity being February 6 EST. While the agency has insisted the crewed mission to the Moon will not be affected by the events unfolding in low Earth orbit, the distraction is still unwelcome. ®
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[1] https://www.theregister.com/2026/01/09/nasa_crew_11_iss/
[2] https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2026/01/09/nasa-spacex-set-target-date-for-crew-11s-return-to-earth/
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2aWUorAAQanmuuJtwtrLC3wAAAY0&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[4] https://www.theregister.com/2026/01/07/nasa_test_stand_demolition/
[5] https://www.theregister.com/2026/01/06/nasa_science_budget_boost/
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2025/12/24/nasa_tries_trundlebot_mastcam_to/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2025/12/18/isaacman_given_nod_as_nasa/
[8] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aWUorAAQanmuuJtwtrLC3wAAAY0&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[9] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
The departure is more than a month earlier than planned and comes after NASA's [1]decision to end the Crew-11 mission due to a medical concern involving one of the four astronauts. The issue could not be addressed using the facilities aboard the orbiting outpost.
NASA ended a tumultuous week for ISS operations by [2]confirming the return of NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, JAXA astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov.
[3]
Fincke and Cardman were scheduled to perform activities outside the ISS on January 8. However, the spacewalk was postponed due to the undisclosed medical concern. By the end of the day, NASA confirmed the crew were coming home prematurely.
[4]Historic NASA test towers face their final countdown
[5]Congress ctrl-Zs bulk of proposed cuts to NASA science
[6]NASA tries Curiosity rover's Mastcam to work out where MAVEN might be
[7]Isaacman finally confirmed as NASA boss after Trump derailed first attempt
Assuming factors including weather conditions at the recovery site cooperate, the Crew Dragon's hatch will be closed at 1530 (EST), and undocking will occur at 1700. Splashdown is expected at 0340 on Thursday, January 15.
The exact nature of the medical issue remains unclear, and NASA is protecting the privacy of the astronaut concerned. The ailing astronaut is stable, and managers have not had to perform an emergency deorbit to bring the individual back to Earth. This will be the first time in the ISS's history of crewed operations that a mission is curtailed due to crew illness.
[8]
NASA hopes to bring forward the launch of Crew-12 to shorten the period where the ISS will have a crew of three, including a single US astronaut, Chris Williams. However, given that Crew-12 will inevitably require additional training to complete the tasks originally expected of Crew-11, such as the spacewalk, it is unlikely many days can be shaved off the flow toward Crew-12's February launch.
NASA has a busy couple of months ahead. There is a chance that Artemis II could launch, with the first opportunity being February 6 EST. While the agency has insisted the crewed mission to the Moon will not be affected by the events unfolding in low Earth orbit, the distraction is still unwelcome. ®
Get our [9]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.theregister.com/2026/01/09/nasa_crew_11_iss/
[2] https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2026/01/09/nasa-spacex-set-target-date-for-crew-11s-return-to-earth/
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2aWUorAAQanmuuJtwtrLC3wAAAY0&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[4] https://www.theregister.com/2026/01/07/nasa_test_stand_demolition/
[5] https://www.theregister.com/2026/01/06/nasa_science_budget_boost/
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2025/12/24/nasa_tries_trundlebot_mastcam_to/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2025/12/18/isaacman_given_nod_as_nasa/
[8] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aWUorAAQanmuuJtwtrLC3wAAAY0&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[9] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Like a badger
Constipation due to the low gravity I reckon. If only the design had specced a centrifugal pod for the shitter.
"I can't shift my breakfast chaps, can you crank it up to 2G, please?"
Dr Who
Panspermia is unstoppable. Let's hope it's benign.
I would hate to get toothache while in space, or earache even, or even a paper cut!
But you're not going to be going up there if there is any sign of tooth decay.