NASA postponed its first spacewalk of 2026 and said it is weighing an early end to the current International Space Station crew rotation after an unspecified medical concern involving one crew member, a rare disruption that could force operational changes aboard the orbiting lab and hasten a U.S.-Japanese-Russian team's return.
In a statement posted late Wednesday, NASA said it "is postponing the Thursday, Jan. 8, spacewalk outside the International Space Station. The agency is monitoring a medical concern with a crew member that arose on Wednesday afternoon aboard the orbital complex."
NASA added that it would not identify the astronaut or provide details, saying: "Due to medical privacy, it is not appropriate for NASA to share more details about the crew member. The situation is stable."
The agency said it is reviewing options, including ending the mission early, and indicated more information would be forthcoming.
Reuters described NASA's consideration of an early return as unusual, reporting that the agency is "considering a rare early return" of the Crew-11 astronauts after canceling the planned spacewalk.
Crew-11 launched Aug. 1, 2025, on a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and includes NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Japan's Kimiya Yui and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov, according to NASA.
Reuters added that astronauts typically rotate through the station in multi-month stays and that medical issues on the ISS are generally kept private.
On Thursday, NASA issued a follow-up update describing the matter as limited to one person and again stressing stability.
The agency said: "As an update to our earlier communication regarding a medical situation aboard the International Space Station, the matter involved a single crew member who is stable."
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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