These four astronauts are returning to Earth just a few days after an unexpected in-flight medical evacuation from the International Space Station (ISS). Crew members Mike Fincke, Zena Cardman, Kimiya Yui, and Oleg Platonov disembarked the Dragon Endeavour at around 01:30 local time, marking the end of their mission.
The crew first flew up to the ISS on 1 August, and were set to return after a typical six-and-a-half-month mission. Things took a turn when one of the crew members got sick, requiring an emergency exit from the station. At this point, our decision to evacuate was for the crew’s health and safety.
The flight back to Earth took just over 11 hours. Early on July 2, the Dragon Endeavour splashed down successfully off the coast of California, bringing an early end to the astronauts’ mission.
Though returning early, the astronauts’ time on the ISS helped support many U.S. research projects and experiments that will return on their next mission. Their ongoing presence in low Earth orbit significantly increased our understanding of microgravity’s effects on biological systems among other things.