NASA cancels spacewalk due to medical emergency aboard the ISS
(January 9, 2026) In a rare and closely watched development that sounds like it was ripped from the script pages of a dramatic TV show, NASA has canceled a scheduled spacewalk from the International Space Station (ISS) after learning of a medical concern involving one of the astronauts aboard. Agency officials announced their decision on Thursday, while NASA is looking at the four-person SpaceX Crew-11 team to return home earlier than its planned late-February return.
Reportedly, the current medical emergency cannot be treated in space.
The space agency said Thursday the U.S.-Japanese-Russian crew of four will return to Earth in the coming days, earlier than planned.
NASA canceled its first spacewalk of the year because of the health issue. The space agency did not identify the astronaut or the medical issue, citing patient privacy. The crew member is now stable. ~ The Associated Press
Current ISS Crew Members: The affected mission crew — part of the SpaceX Crew-11 rotation — consists of the following astronauts, all of whom are aboard the station as of Jan. 8, 2026:
- Zena Cardman (NASA) — Commander
- Mike Fincke (NASA) — Pilot
- Kimiya Yui (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) — Mission Specialist
- Oleg Platonov (Roscosmos) — Mission Specialist
The spacewalk — designated EVA-94 and set for January 8 — had been planned to last about 6½ hours, with NASA astronauts Mike Fincke and Zena Cardman slated to venture outside the ISS to prepare power channels ahead of future solar array installations. That activity was called off Wednesday afternoon after NASA began monitoring a medical situation involving an unspecified crew member, the agency said. The astronaut’s identity has not been released due to medical privacy, though NASA confirmed the individual is stable.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman and other officials held a press briefing indicating that the agency is “actively evaluating all options,” including the possibility of ending the mission early and returning Crew-11 home in the coming days. This would be an unusual early return for a U.S. crew and marks one of the few times a shuttle mission has been altered due to health concerns.
As of yesterday, NASA officials still had not identified the astronaut with the medical condition or what the medical condition is, only confirming that the situation is being monitored and that the crew member is currently in stable condition.
Only one person on the current Nasa mission is sick, but all four need to return because the agency aims to make sure the ISS never has more crew on board than there are available seats in docked space capsules. Those capsules need to serve as lifeboats or rescue vehicles.
Cardman and Fincke were supposed to carry out the spacewalk to make preparations for a future rollout of solar panels to provide additional power for the space station. ~ The Guardian
In addition to Crew-11, other astronauts on the station include members of a separate Soyuz-launched contingent — NASA’s Chris Williams and Russian cosmonauts Sergei Mikayev and Sergei Kud-Sverchkov — who are scheduled to remain aboard the ISS and support ongoing operations and scientific work.
NASA has said it will provide further updates, including a revised spacewalk schedule and potential undocking plans for Crew-11, as more details become available. As this is a real life drama currently unfolding in outer space, Ace News Today wishes Crew-11 members well and we’re hoping for a safe return for all.
For more on the story, see the video accompanying this article.
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(Additional sources: NASA, CBS News, Reuters)
Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today
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