On Thursday, four astronauts splashed down on Earth after a whirlwind month spent zipping around space. Mike Fincke, Zena Cardman, Kimiya Yui, and Oleg Platonov departed the International Space Station on their return home. Their return, as it turned out, was due to a medical emergency for one of the crew members. The astronauts would live and work aboard the ISS for six-and-a-half months. They showed up by August 1.
Fincke, Cardman, Yui, and Platonov—unlike Crew 11. As a duo, they both pursued rigorous scientific research, engineering challenges, and commercial experimentation in low Earth orbit. Unfortunately, due to the sudden and serious illness of one crew member, we returned prematurely in order to maintain their well-being and care.
The astronauts disembarked from the Dragon Endeavour at approximately 01:30 local time and 09:30 GMT, marking the end of their mission. The return trip to Earth took 11 hours, ending with a perfect splash down just off the coast of California.
American astronauts Mike Fincke and Zena Cardman, and Kimiya Yui of Japan round out this international crew. Oleg Platonov joined up to collaborative efforts aboard the ISS. The premature loss of her entire crew serves as a reminder of the need to prioritize health and safety, even in space missions.
These advancements have accomplished the ISS mission of improving our life on Earth through its role as a microgravity laboratory where astronauts conduct intriguing research. For each mission there’s a wealth of data and discoveries feeding into not only biology and medicine, but physics and Earth science. This unprecedented collaboration between international space agencies serves as a reminder of our shared commitment to advancing human knowledge beyond our planet.
