Three NASA astronauts and one Russian cosmonaut were taken to a medical facility in Florida after returning to Earth on October 25 instead of the usual return to the Johnson Space Center in Houston. One crew member remained at Ascension Sacred Heart Pensacola Friday due to “medical issues,” while the rest of the crew returned to the Space Center after being checked out. NASA reports that the astronaut with health problems is in stable condition and has remained under the care of medics.
The agency has not released details about the victim’s medical condition or identity, citing medical confidentiality. The four astronauts, who spent eight months aboard the ISS, made a successful landing in the Gulf of Mexico on October 25 at 3:29 a.m. ET. The entire crew was then sent for additional medical checks as a standard procedure.
Crew-8 includes NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, Jeanette Epps and Alexander Grebenkin of Roscosmos. During the broadcast of the return, they smiled happily and said “hello” to everyone after exiting the Crew Dragon capsule and boarding the recovery ship. At the 5 a.m. briefing, NASA said the crew was feeling fine and would soon return to Houston after completing checks.
Long medical checkups are common practice after space missions, as Crew-8 spent 235 days in space, one of the longest periods among U.S. crews. They were launched on March 4, 2024, and the return was delayed for a number of reasons, including problems with the Boeing Starliner spacecraft that carried astronauts to the station but was considered unsafe to return. As a result, the Starliner astronauts have to stay in orbit and will return home aboard a SpaceX Crew-9.
Additional delays were also caused by unfavorable weather conditions, which caused Crew-8’s landing to be postponed until late October.
Provided by cnn.com
