Overview
- Mike Fincke, who suddenly could not speak for about 20 minutes on Jan. 7, says he felt no pain and recovered quickly.
- NASA carried out a controlled medical evacuation, bringing Fincke and three Crew-11 crewmates home on Jan. 15 aboard a SpaceX Dragon and straight to a San Diego hospital.
- The crew used the station’s ultrasound during the scare, but NASA opted for an early return to access advanced imaging not available in orbit.
- Doctors have not found a cause, ruling out a heart attack and choking as investigators assess whether long time in weightlessness played a role.
- The incident canceled a planned spacewalk and ended the mission more than a month early, and NASA sped up Crew-12’s launch to sustain station operations.