An astronaut whose health suddenly worsened will halt the mission, leave the International Space Station (ISS), and return to Earth on the 15th. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on the 9th (local time) released the return schedule for four astronauts sheltering on the space station after one astronaut fell ill with unexplained symptoms.
Earlier, NASA held a news conference on the 8th and made the unusual decision to shorten SpaceX's Crew-11 astronauts' space station mission and bring them home early. That is because one astronaut's health has deteriorated.
This early return is the first in the 25-year history since Nov. 2, 2000, when astronauts first entered the International Space Station. Before, astronauts experienced symptoms such as toothaches or ear pain, but they were treated on site and did not leave the space station.
◇Splashdown off California on the 15th
SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule carrying the astronauts is scheduled to begin its return to Earth after 5 p.m. Wednesday the 14th (Eastern Standard Time). The capsule is expected to deploy parachutes and splash down off the coast of California at about 3:40 a.m. Thursday the 15th. The return news conference is set for 5:45 a.m., two hours after splashdown.
The exact timing of the return may vary depending on the weather. NASA said it is monitoring sea conditions in the capsule recovery area. NASA said that together with SpaceX, it will select the specific splashdown time and location as the Crew-11 capsule's undocking approaches.
Crew-11 consists of two NASA astronauts (Commander Jenna Cardman and pilot Mike Fincke), Japanese astronaut Yukimiya Yui, and Russian astronaut Oleg Platonov. Crew-11 was originally scheduled to stay on the space station until mid-February.
With the Crew-11 astronauts returning early, only three remain on the space station: NASA astronaut Chris Williams and Russian astronauts Sergey Kudsverchikov and Sergey Mikayev. Crew-12, SpaceX's replacement crew, is scheduled to arrive at the space station in February as planned.
◇Various bodily changes with no gravity
NASA has not yet given specifics on the condition of the crew member experiencing health problems. Director General Jared Isaacman said on the 8th, "It is a serious condition but stable."
Scientists say astronauts are under tremendous stress in space. That is because there is little gravity and space radiation harmful to the human body pours in. According to experts, when an astronaut stays in space for a long time, the body changes like aliens in movies.
When standing on Earth, blood flows downward due to gravity, but in space, where gravity almost disappears, blood flows evenly anywhere in the body. That means more blood goes to the head than on Earth, so astronauts on the International Space Station always look puffy in the face.
At the same time, calcium in bones decreases by an average of 1% per month. Protein leaves the muscles. Astronauts who boarded the Russian space station Mir were found to have about a 20% decrease in muscle protein after a year. Astronauts stationed on the space station desperately exercise—running on a treadmill for two hours a day with their bodies tethered by straps—because of these bodily changes.
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