NASA says ailing astronaut is 'fine' after SpaceX capsule splashes down

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

A SpaceX capsule departed the International Space Station on Wednesday (January 14) carrying a four-member crew on an emergency return flight to Earth necessitated by an unspecified serious medical condition afflicting one of the astronauts aboard. (6815-SPACE-NASA/ASTRONAUT-UNDOCKING)

IN SPACE (JANUARY 14, 2026) (NASA TV - For editorial use only.)

1. VARIOUS OF DRAGON ENDEAVOUR CAPSULE UNDOCKING FROM INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION (ISS)

2. DEPARTURE BURN IN PROGRESS AS CAPSULE MOVES AWAY FROM ISS

3. VIEW INSIDE CAPSULE OVER THE SHOULDERS OF DRAGON COMMANDER AND NASA ASTRONAUT, ZENA CARDMAN AND PILOT AND NASA ASTRONAUT, MIKE FINCKE

4. EARTH AS SEEN FROM CAPSULE WITH MISSION CONTROL TELLING CREW TO ENJOY TRIP BACK HOME

The capsule parachuted into calm seas off San Diego at about 12:45 a.m. EST (0845 GMT) on Thursday (January 15), capping a 10-hour-plus descent from the International Space Station and fiery re-entry through Earth's atmosphere, carried live by a joint NASA-SpaceX webcast. (6922-SPACE-NASA/ASTRONAUT-SPLASHDOWN)

IN SPACE (JANUARY 15, 2026) (NASA TV - For editorial use only.)

5. VIEW INSIDE CAPSULE OVER THE SHOULDERS OF CARDMAN AND FINCKE

6. MEMBERS OF CREW AWAITING RE-ENTRY TO EARTH

7. VIEW INSIDE CAPSULE OVER THE SHOULDERS OF CARDMAN AND FINCKE

8. (PART MUTE) VARIOUS OF BRIGHT LIGHT FLASHING IN SKY AS CAPSULE MAKES ITS RE-ENTRY

AT SEA (JANUARY 15, 2026) (NASA TV - For editorial use only)

9. INFRARED SHOT OF CAPSULE WITH PARACHUTES DEPLOYED BEFORE MAKING SPLASHDOWN UPON RETURNING TO EARTH

10. INFRARED SHOT OF CAPSULE MAKING SPLASHDOWN IN SEA

11. INFRARED SHOT OF CAPSULE IN SEA / BOATS APPROACHING CAPSULE

AT SEA (JANUARY 15, 2026) (NASA TV - For editorial use only) (NIGHT SHOTS)

12. RECOVERY BOAT NEXT TO CAPSULE

13. RECOVERY CREW ON STANDBY ON DECK

14. RECOVERY CREW HOISTING CAPSULE

15. HATCH BEING LOWERED ONTO DECK

Their return a few weeks ahead of schedule marked the first time that NASA cut short the mission of an ISS crew due to a health emergency.

The crew consists of U.S. astronauts Zena Cardman, 38, and Mike Fincke, 58, Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui, 55, and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov, 39. (6942-SPACE-NASA/ASTRONAUT-SPLASHDOWN-HATCH)

AT SEA (JANUARY 15, 2026) (NASA TV - For editorial use only) (NIGHT SHOTS)

16. GROUND CREW OPENING HATCH OF CAPSULE

17. WHITE FLASH

18. (PART MUTE) VARIOUS OF FINCKE EXITING CAPSULE WITH ASSISTANCE FROM GROUND CREW

19. (MUTE) FINCKE WAVING AT CAMERA

20. (MUTE) FINCKE BEING SEATED ON GURNEY

21. FINCKE BEING WHEELED AWAY

22. WHITE FLASH

23. (MUTE) CARDMAN EXITING CAPSULE WITH ASSISTANCE FROM GROUND CREW

24. CARDMAN EMERGING FROM CAPSULE

25. CARDMAN WAVING AT CAMERA

26. (MUTE) CARDMAN BEING SEATED ON GURNEY

27. (MUTE) CARDMAN BEING WHEELED AWAY

28. WHITE FLASH

29. (MUTE) VARIOUS OF JAXA ASTRONAUT, KIMIYA YUI, EXITING CAPSULE WITH ASSISTANCE FROM GROUND CREW

30. YUI WAVING AT CAMERA

31. (PART MUTE) VARIOUS OF YUI BEING SEATED ON GURNEY AND WHEELED AWAY

32. WHITE FLASH

33. VARIOUS OF ROSCOSMOS COSMONAUT, OLEG PLATONOV, EXITING CAPSULE WITH ASSISTANCE FROM GROUND CREW

34. PLATONOV GIVING THUMBS UP AND SMILING

35. PLATONOV TAKING HIS SEAT ON GURNEY AND BEING WHEELED AWAY

NASA administrator Jared Isaacman confirmed the crew's successful return at a press conference. (6976-SPACE-NASA/ASTRONAUT-NEWSER)

HOUSTON, TEXAS, UNITED STATES (JANUARY 15, 2026) (NASA TV - For editorial use only.)

36. NEWS BRIEFING

37. (SOUNDBITE) (English) NASA ADMINISTRATOR, JARED ISAACMAN, SAYING:

"This mission brought Crew 11 safely home. NASA astronauts, Zena Cardman, Mike Fincke, JAXA astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov are all safe and in good spirits. All crew members are currently undergoing the routine post-splashdown medical evaluation. The crew member of concern is doing fine. We will share updates on their health as soon as its appropriate to do so."

38. BRIEFING ONGOING

39. (SOUNDBITE) (English) NASA ADMINISTRATOR, JARED ISAACMAN, SAYING:

"Oftentimes, people associate that with what did we get wrong? And for sure in any circumstance, you're going to capture lessons learned and apply it. I think when we go through the debrief on this, we're going to learn a lot about the things we got really right and did it very well and make sure we apply that in other applications going forward. So this from my perspective watching it play out from the time of the original situation developing to get astronauts safely in the water and on their way to medical care was executed almost near flawlessly."

40. NEWS CONFERENCE ONGOING