Meet The Four SpaceX Crew-11 NASA Astronauts Splashed Down For The First Medical Space Evacuation

The International Space Station is making headlines as all eyes are on the four astronauts who returned to Earth amid a medical emergency. After spending five months aboard the ISS, they splashed down in the Pacific Ocean. This is the first time NASA has conducted an early return due to a medical concern.

The crew, consisting of two Americans, a Russian cosmonaut, and a Japanese astronaut, had spent five months aboard the ISS. However, on January 8, 2026, NASA made the difficult decision to cut short the mission after one of the crew members had a medical condition. The astronaut in question is stable now. However, to respect the privacy of those on board, officials have not disclosed which astronaut was affected.

There have been many effects of microgravity on the human body, from bone density loss to fluid shifts. While most issues are managed on board, this is the first time that an urgent evacuation was planned. The four NASA astronauts on board were Mike Fincke, Zena Cardman, Oleg Platonov and Kimiya Yui. Let us read on to know more about them.

Mike Fincke is a veteran astronaut who spent over a year in Space

Mike Fincke is a veteran American astronaut who is known to have spent more than 537 days in space. He is a retired colonel from the United States Air Force and has logged nine spacewalks. Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Fincke attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Aeronautics and Astronautics. Fincke has been certified as a pilot for Boeing Starliner and SpaceX Crew Dragon.

He was selected by NASA in April 1996 and completed two years of training at the Johnson Space Centre. He served as an International Space Station Spacecraft Communicator. He also served as a backup crew member for ISS Expeditions 4 and 6, as well as a backup commander for ISS Expeditions 13 and 16. Not many people know this, but Fincke has acted in films like Star Trek: Enterprise (2001), Arthur (1996) and Nova (1974).

Fincke is married to Renita Saikia Fincke and has three children. When his youngest child was born, the astronaut was in space, and the entire NASA team provided updates about the baby, making Fincke part of the birth. His wife, Renita, revealed the same to the Calcutta Telegraph newspaper and said:

“Mike heard Tarali's first cries and was even able to see her with the NASA-provided video-conferencing equipment!"

Astronaut Zena Cardman is an American geobiologist

Zena Cardman was another astronaut in Crew-11 mission. An American geobiologist, Zena majored in Biology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She also minored in chemistry and marine sciences. In 2017, Zena was selected as one of 12 new NASA astronaut candidates.

As a member of NASA Astronaut Group 22, she took her two-year training at Johnson Space Centre in Houston. During a press conference, Zena talked about her feelings after being chosen by NASA and said:

“I don't think I ever smiled that big in my life. I had my hand over my heart, because it was just absolute, utter overwhelming emotion. I haven't stopped smiling since.”

After completing her training, NASA revealed that Cardman would fly as commander. Cardman was announced as the commander of the SpaceX Crew-11 mission that launched on August 1, 2025. She also conducted research and technology demonstrations aboard the ISS.

Astronaut Oleg Platonov is a former military pilot

Born in Russia, Oleg Platonov is a cosmonaut who was selected by Roscosmos in 2018 as part of the Group 17 cosmonaut selection. Apart from being an astronaut, Platonov is a former military pilot and engineer who, after completing his secondary education, enrolled at the Krasnodar Higher Military Aviation School of Pilots. He specialised in Aircraft Operation and Air Traffic Management. He later became a pilot with the Russian Air Force.

After spending ten years in the Russian Air Force and achieving the rank of a major, Platonov was selected as a cosmonaut candidate by Roscosmos in 2018. In 2025, he was named as one of the cosmonauts to fly aboard a U.S. Crew Dragon spacecraft as part of the Crew-11 mission.

Kimiya Yui is the first Japanese astronaut from military

Kimiya Yui is one of the four astronauts who returned to Earth from the Crew-11 mission. A retired fighter pilot, Yui was selected by JAXA in 2009. After graduating from the National Defence Academy of Japan in 1992, Yui has piloted many fighter jets. He was working as a Lieutenant Colonel when he was selected as an astronaut candidate.

Kimiya Yui is the first Japanese astronaut with a military background. He was forced to retire from the military because of Japan’s policy of keeping the scientific and military fields separate. In 2011, Yui became a certified ISS astronaut and, in June 2012, conducted an undersea exploration mission, spending 24 hours underwater. In 2016, he became the chief of the JAXA Astronaut Corps. He spent 142 days aboard the International Space Station as a Flight Engineer and controlled the robotics used in the capture of “KOUNOTORI5 (HTV5). In August 2025, he began his second long-duration mission aboard the ISS.

Did you know about the lesser-known details about the four astronauts of the Crew-11 mission?

Also Read: Who Is Sunita Williams' Husband, Michael? US Federal Marshal, Couple's Love Story, India's Daughter

AWESOME NEWS! Now you can download BollywoodShaadis app and never miss a story. Get App

AWESOME NEWS! Now you can download BollywoodShaadis app and never miss a story. Choose your device Android or IOS (Apple)