Crew-11 set for undocking and splashdown after medical situation forces early return

Date:
Wed, 14 Jan 2026 19:54:04 +0000

Description:
NASA and SpaceX are targeting 5:05 PM EST (22:05 UTC) on Wednesday, Jan. 14, for The post Crew-11 set for undocking and splashdown after medical situation forces early return appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com .

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NASA and SpaceX are targeting 5:05 PM EST (22:05 UTC) on Wednesday, Jan. 14, for the undocking of the Crew-11 mission from the International Space
Station. Crew Dragon Endeavour and its crew of four comprised of two NASA astronauts, one Japanese astronaut, and one Russian cosmonaut are scheduled to splashdown in the Pacific Ocean a few hours later at 12:40 AM PST (08:40 UTC) on Thursday, Jan. 15.

Crew-11 launched to the Station on Aug. 1 and was intended to complete an eight-month mission, with a return slated for April 2026. However, due to an undisclosed medical situation aboard the Station ahead of a planned extravehicular activity (or spacewalk), NASA elected to return the crew
early. In a Jan. 11 post, ISS commander and Crew-11 pilot, Michael Fincke, noted that everyone on board is stable, safe, and well cared for.





Crew-11 launched to the International Space Station aboard SpaceXs Crew
Dragon Endeavour. NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Michael Fincke serve as
the missions commander and pilot, respectively. Japanese Aerospace
Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Kimiya Yui and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov serve as mission specialists. The crew was working at the Station as part of Expedition 73/74. A change-of-command ceremony, in which Fincke
handed control of the Station to Soyuz MS-28 cosmonaut Sergey Kud-Sverchkov, was held on the Station on Jan. 12. See Also Crew-11 Updates ISS Forum
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Medical situation ahead of EVA

NASA had scheduled an extravehicular activity (EVA), named U.S. EVA 94, for Thursday, Jan. 8. On Jan. 7, however, the agency announced it had postponed the space walk due to a medical concern with a crew member that arose Wednesday afternoon. Crew-11s Cardman and Fincke were scheduled to perform
the EVA.

Aside from noting that the situation was stable, NASA did not share further details due to medical privacy concerns, but NASAs Chief Health and Medical Officer, Dr. James Polk, stated the situation was unrelated to the
operational environment or spacewalk preparations.

Hours later, on Jan. 8, the agency announced it was evaluating the
possibility of an early return of Crew-11 due to the medical situation.
Later, during a press conference at NASAs Headquarters in Washington D.C., NASA Administrator Jared Issacman announced the agency would be returning Crew-11 early, with undocking and splashdown dates to be determined in the following days.



Crew-11s early return will also lead to schedule changes for upcoming
missions to the Station, most notably NASA and SpaceXs Crew-12 mission, which is currently scheduled to launch to the ISS on Feb. 15. The agency said it
was evaluating options to advance the launch to an earlier date. Crew-12 will launch two NASA astronauts, Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, one European
Space Agency (ESA) astronaut, Sophie Adenot, and one Roscosmos cosmonaut, Andrey Fedyaev.

Crew-11s return to Earth

Following the announcement of their early return, NASA shared that the
Crew-11 crew members began collecting their belongings and making final preparations for their trip back to Earth. This included checking the fit and operability of their SpaceX pressure suits, as well as the suits audio and video communication systems. Whats more, the crew wrapped up any ongoing experiments they had been working on while living on the Station.

On Monday, Jan. 12, the crew packed their personal belongings and necessary gear for return into Endeavour, while also reviewing procedures for
undocking, reentry, and landing. The crew continued conducting science experiments and Station maintenance activities when not preparing for their return. The four-person crew of Crew-11 pose in their pressure suits ahead of their return to Earth. (Credit: NASA)

NASA and SpaceX mission managers reviewed return plans on Tuesday, Jan. 13, ultimately issuing a go for return. After suiting up and entering Endeavour , the Expedition 73/74 crew members will close and secure the hatch between Dragon and the ISS, ensuring a good pressure seal.

Once seated in their respective seats within Endeavour and communication checks have been completed, Endeavour and the Crew-11 crew will undock from the Harmony modules space-facing port at 5:05 PM EST (22:05 UTC), beginning their return to Earth.

Endeavour will orbit Earth for around nine hours before performing its deorbit burn. At the completion of this burn, Endeavour and its crew will be on a trajectory to reenter Earths atmosphere and splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.

During reentry, plasma buildup around the capsule will cause a communications blackout with the crew, during which mission operators on the ground will be unable to communicate with Endeavour. This communications blackout will last for several minutes. After communications have been reestablished, Endeavour will deploy its drogue parachute to begin slowing the capsule to a safe splashdown velocity. A previous Crew Dragon seen during its final descent before splashdown. (Credit: SpaceX)

Endeavour will then cut its drogue chutes and deploy its main parachutes, significantly slowing the capsule to its splashdown velocity. After
descending under this main parachute for several minutes, Endeavour will splashdown in the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of California.

SpaceXs Dragon recovery vessel, Shannon , will approach the capsule after landing and begin safing Endeavour . Shannon and SpaceX recovery crews will lift Endeavour onto the ships deck, where teams will open the hatch and
assist the four crew members with their egress from Dragon. If NASA and
SpaceX follow normal procedures for this return, the crew will be transported back to Houston, Texas, after initial medical checks.

(Lead image: Crew Dragon Endeavour and Crew-11 approach the ISS for docking in August 2025. Credit: NASA)



The post Crew-11 set for undocking and splashdown after medical situation forces early return appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com .



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Link to news story:
https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2026/01/crew-11-return/


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