NASA has announced an unprecedented medical evacuation from the International Space Station (ISS), marking the first such event in the orbiting laboratory's 25-year history of continuous human presence. The four astronauts of the SpaceX Crew-11 mission are returning to Earth earlier than planned due to a serious but undisclosed medical condition affecting one crew member. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman clarified that while the astronaut is in stable condition, the full diagnostic and treatment capabilities required are not available on the ISS, necessitating a return to Earth for comprehensive medical evaluation. The decision, announced on January 8, 2026, led to the cancellation of a planned spacewalk and highlights NASA's utmost priority on astronaut health and safety. The Crew-11 team, consisting of NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, JAXA astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov, launched to the ISS in August 2025 for a planned six-month mission. Their "controlled expedited return" is currently targeted for splashdown off the coast of California on January 15, 2026. Following the departure of Crew-11, the ISS will temporarily operate with a reduced "skeleton crew" of three astronauts until the next mission, Crew-12, can be launched. This historic event underscores the complexities of long-duration spaceflight and the critical importance of robust medical protocols and decision-making for human exploration beyond Earth. This marks only the second time in space history a mission has been cut short due to health reasons, the first being a Soviet cosmonaut in 1985.