Washington: The NASA has postponed a scheduled spacewalk outside the International Space Station and is evaluating whether to bring astronauts home earlier than planned after a medical issue was reported aboard the orbiting laboratory.
The US space agency said the decision to defer the spacewalk—originally slated for Thursday—was taken after an astronaut experienced what NASA described as a “medical concern.” While officials did not disclose the identity of the crew member or details of the condition, citing medical privacy, they confirmed that the astronaut is stable.
WATCH: NASA is considering a rare early return of its crew from the International Space Station over an unspecified medical issue involving one of the astronauts. NASA canceled a planned spacewalk scheduled for January 8, the agency said https://t.co/HCPTPzk4Qk pic.twitter.com/j2d7hxIA5L
— Reuters Science News (@ReutersScience) January 8, 2026
In an update issued early Thursday, NASA said it is continuing to assess all operational options, including the possibility of ending the mission of Crew-11 ahead of schedule. “Safely conducting our missions is our highest priority,” the agency said, adding that such contingencies are part of standard mission training and preparedness. Further updates are expected within 24 hours.
Crew-11 is SpaceX’s latest crewed mission to the ISS and includes NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Michael Fincke, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov.
The postponed spacewalk was to be carried out by Cardman and Fincke and was part of routine station maintenance and upgrade activities. NASA has not announced a new date for the operation.
Crew-11 docked with the ISS on August 2, 2025, and is nearing the end of a planned six-month stay in orbit. As the mission is already in its final phase, an early return—if approved—would only marginally shorten the overall duration.
NASA emphasized that mission planning remains fluid and that crew health will continue to guide all decisions as the situation evolves.
