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NASA Astronaut Hospitalized Following Extended Space Mission
In a recent development, a NASA astronaut was transported to a hospital after returning from a nearly eight-month mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The incident occurred shortly after the astronaut, whose identity remains confidential for privacy reasons, splashed down off the coast of Florida at 3:29 a.m. ET on Friday. The astronaut was part of a crew that included two other NASA astronauts, Matthew Dominick and Michael Barratt, along with Russian cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin.
The mission, which lasted 235 days, surpassed the typical six-month duration for ISS missions, marking a significant milestone for SpaceX’s reusable Crew Dragon spacecraft. Following the splashdown, NASA initially reported that the entire crew was taken to a medical facility for precautionary evaluations. However, it was later clarified that only one astronaut experienced a medical issue, prompting the crew's transport to a hospital in Pensacola, Florida, near the landing site. The other three crew members have since been discharged and returned to Houston.
NASA confirmed that the astronaut remaining in the hospital is in stable condition and is being monitored as a precaution. The agency has opted not to disclose specific details regarding the nature of the astronaut's medical condition. Meanwhile, Roscosmos, Russia’s space agency, shared a photo of Grebenkin on social media, depicting him in good spirits post-mission.
The crew's return had been delayed for several weeks due to adverse weather conditions caused by two hurricanes that impacted the southeastern United States, affecting the planned splashdown zones for Crew Dragon.
SpaceX, which has successfully completed 44 missions to the ISS, remains the sole U.S. provider for astronaut transportation to and from the space station. Boeing’s Starliner, intended as an alternative, has faced significant developmental challenges.
Crew Dragon undocked from the ISS on Wednesday and re-entered Earth’s atmosphere early Friday, deploying parachutes before landing in the Gulf of Mexico. At a post-splashdown briefing, NASA officials reported that the crew was in good condition, despite minor issues with the spacecraft's parachute deployment. Richard Jones, deputy manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, noted that while there were some debris strikes affecting the initial parachutes, these did not compromise crew safety, and the weather conditions for recovery were deemed ideal.
The Crew Dragon spacecraft, which has now completed five flights, has logged a total of 702 days in orbit since its inaugural mission.