SpaceX Crew-11 Returns to Earth Early Due to Undisclosed Medical Concern

A SpaceX Dragon capsule returned to Earth in a dramatic re-entry over California, marking the first medical evacuation from the International Space Station.

Four ISS crewmembers—NASA's Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, JAXA's Kimiya Yui, and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov—splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off San Diego on January 15, 2026, after their mission was cut short due to an unspecified non-emergency medical concern that arose on January 7.

The Crew-11 SpaceX Dragon spacecraft 'Endeavour' decelerated to 120 mph before parachute deployment, visible as a plasma-wreathed capsule blazing through the night sky.

Residents captured footage of the re-entry, including Cindy Vejar, who described the event as 'very spectacular,' and an anonymous X user who noted a sonic boom approximately five minutes after the spacecraft's passage.

NASA confirmed the affected crewmember is 'doing fine' but declined to disclose full medical details, stating updates would be shared 'as soon as it's appropriate to do so.' The agency has not released the name of the crewmember involved in the medical situation.

I got to see Crew-11 aboard the Dragon fly by on their re-entry back to earth. That was the coolest thing I’ve ever seen (the sonic boom hit about 5 minutes after),

Residents in California reported the capsule's re-entry as a visually striking event, with the spacecraft's plasma glow visible for several minutes before splashdown. The mission's early termination highlights the protocols in place for crew health monitoring during long-duration spaceflight.