Crew-11 astronaut with mission-ending medical issue identifies self

CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE STATION — In a prepared statement, NASA astronaut Mike Fincke revealed that it was he who suffered a medical issue onboard the International Space Station that resulted in the Crew-11 mission being cut short.

The 58-year-old retired U.S. Air Force colonel recapped and thanked his fellow astronauts and NASA flight surgeons when he experienced his medical issue, which he did not reveal what that was.

“On Jan. 7, while aboard the International Space Station, I experienced a medical event that required immediate attention from my incredible crewmates. Thanks to their quick response and the guidance of our NASA flight surgeons, my status quickly stabilized,” he wrote.  

Fincke, who was the pilot of Crew-11, and Cmdr. Zena Cardman were scheduled to conduct a six-hour spacewalk the following day, where the pair were going to install a modification kit and cables for a future rollout of a solar array.

That did not happen.

The Crew-11 mission was cut short and splashed down back to Earth this past January, a month earlier than when the mission was supposed to end.

During a press conference, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman only revealed that an unnamed astronaut suffered a “serious medical condition” while onboard the space station.

Even during a separate press conference with the Crew-11 members, no one revealed the identity of the astronaut or what the medical episode was.

Fincke was selected to be a NASA astronaut in 1996. The Pennsylvania native is a veteran astronaut, logging 549 days in space with nine spacewalks.

In his words

“On Jan. 7, while aboard the International Space Station, I experienced a medical event that required immediate attention from my incredible crewmates. Thanks to their quick response and the guidance of our NASA flight surgeons, my status quickly stabilized.

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.

I am deeply grateful to my fellow Expedition 74 members—Zena Cardman, Kimiya Yui, Oleg Platonov, Chris Williams, Sergey Kud-Sverchkov, and Sergei Mikayev—as well as the entire NASA team, SpaceX, and the medical professionals at Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla near San Diego. Their professionalism and dedication ensured a positive outcome.

I’m doing very well and continuing standard post-flight reconditioning at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Spaceflight is an incredible privilege, and sometimes it reminds us just how human we are. Thank you all for your support.”