Nasa on Saturday said that one of its astronauts was admitted to a hospital after returning to Earth with the SpaceX Crew-8 mission from the International Space Station (ISS), as reported by the Guardian.
The four crew members landed safely off the coast of Pensacola, Florida, early Friday morning after spending 235 days in space. While initial assessments suggested that all crew members were in good health, a routine medical evaluation prompted Nasa to transfer the crew to a nearby medical facility for further examination.
Three astronauts were subsequently cleared and released, while one remains hospitalized in stable condition as a precautionary measure.
Cheryl Warner, Nasa’s news chief, said, “To protect the crew member’s medical privacy, specific details on the individual’s condition or identity will not be shared.” She also confirmed the astronaut‘s stable condition and emphasized that the additional evaluation was conducted “out of an abundance of caution.”
Richard Jones, Nasa’s deputy commercial crew program manager, highlighted the agency’s commitment to astronaut health and safety, saying, “Right now, the crew is doing great. They are going to spend a little bit of time on the recovery vessel going through their medical checks.” He pointed out that extensive post-flight medical checks are standard procedure following such long missions.
The Crew-8 mission, which launched on March 4, was Nasa’s longest crewed vehicle mission, lasting nearly eight months aboard the ISS. The team consisted of NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, as well as Russian cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin.
The mission encountered several delays, including scheduling conflicts related to Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft and unfavorable weather conditions, resulting in an extended stay in space.
