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3 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Feb 26, 2026 01:50 PM IST
Over a month after NASA astronauts Mike Fincke and Zena Cardman, along with Roscosmos’ Oleg Platonov, and JAXA’s Kimiya Yuithe, who were on SpaceX Crew-11 mission since August 2025, returned to Earth because of a medical reason, Fincke confirmed that he was the crew member requiring medical attention. He expressed his gratitude to the expedition members, calling it a reminder of “just how human we are”.
Ending the mission over a month earlier than scheduled, the capsule of the astronauts was guided by SpaceX to a middle-of-the-night splashdown in the Pacific near San Diego on January 15, 2026, less than 11 hours after the astronauts exited the International Space Station.
In January, SpaceX had sent a Dragon capsule to bring them back as mission teams continued to assess the medical issue. This was NASA’s first ever early evacuation from the ISS.
NASA is sharing the following information at the request of NASA astronaut Mike Fincke: pic.twitter.com/J3UsExd94H
— NASA (@NASA) February 25, 2026
At the time of the splash down in January, NASA refrained from disclosing any details due to medical privacy protocols. Over a month later, its astronaut, who was ailing at the time, took to social media to pen a gratitude note for his fellow members.
NASA astronaut Mike Fincke, aboard the ISS, experienced a medical condition which required immediate attention, following which the crew members and NASA flight surgeons acted swiftly to stabilize his condition, a post shared over X by the space agency stated.
Fincke wrote: “After further evaluation, NASA determined the safest course was an early return for Crew-11 — not an emergency, but a carefully coordinated plan to be able to take advantage of advanced medical imaging not available on the space station. on Jan. 15, we splashed down off the coast of San Diego after an amazing five-and-a-half-month mission.”
Mike Fincke a veteran with over 48 hours of spacewalk time
Mike Fincke is married to Indian-origin Assamese woman Renita Saikia, who works as a Deputy Element Manager in the Research Operations and Integration department of NASA.
Mike Fincke was selected as a NASA astronaut in 1996 and is a veteran of multiple spaceflights, including Expedition 9, Expedition 18, STS-134, and SpaceX Crew-11 missions. He has logged 549 days in space and completed nine spacewalks, totalling 48 hours and 37 minutes; six of those were conducted in a Russian Orlan spacesuit.
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Fincke served in various roles aboard the International Space Station such as Science Officer, Flight Engineer, and Commander during his long-duration missions. He is certified as a Soyuz co-pilot/flight engineer, a member of the Space Shuttle flight deck crew, and pilot for both Boeing Starliner and SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft.
Fincke’s background includes extensive education and experience (including degrees from MIT and Stanford) and service as a colonel in the US Air Force before and during his NASA career.
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