NEW: NASA Astronaut Suffers Medical Emergency In Space

NASA is weighing an early return for its crew aboard the International Space Station after an unspecified medical issue prompted the agency to scrub a planned spacewalk.

The unusual step comes after NASA canceled a spacewalk scheduled for Thursday, according to Reuters. The agency said it is reassessing Crew-11’s timeline as it monitors the situation.

“Safely conducting our missions is our highest priority, and we are actively evaluating all options, including the possibility of an earlier end to Crew-11’s mission,” a NASA spokesperson said Wednesday night, NBC News reported.

The astronaut experiencing the medical concern was not identified and remains in stable condition. NASA previously said it was “monitoring a medical concern with a crew member that arose Wednesday afternoon.”

Crew-11 is made up of U.S. astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov and Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yu. Fincke, the mission commander, and Cardman were set to carry out a 6.5-hour spacewalk to install hardware outside the station before the plan was halted.

…And off they go!

Crew-11 lifted off from @NASAKennedy at 11:43am ET (1543 UTC), headed towards the @Space_Station. pic.twitter.com/VmRfLrIOXC

— NASA (@NASA) August 1, 2025

Astronauts typically spend six to eight months aboard the International Space Station and are equipped with basic medical supplies to handle emergencies. Crew-11 launched from Florida in August for what was expected to be an eight-month mission, with a return to Earth slated for May.

Spacewalks are physically demanding and require months of preparation. NASA has called off spacewalks in the past over health concerns, including last year when an astronaut experienced “spacesuit discomfort” and in 2021 when Mark Vande Hei’s spacewalk was canceled because of a pinched nerve.

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