A medical issue among crewmembers aboard the International Space Station prompted their mission to be cut a month short - a first for the orbiting laboratory. Photo / 123RFAstronauts leave ISS in first-ever medical evacuation and are due to splash down off California tonightA medical issue among crewmembers aboard the International Space Station prompted their mission to be cut a month short - a first for the orbiting laboratory. Photo / 123RFFour crewmembers departed the International Space Station today after a medical issue prompted their mission to be cut a month short - a first for the orbiting laboratory. A video feed from Nasa showed American astronauts Mike Fincke and Zena Cardman, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov and Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui undocking from the ISS at 11.20am NZT, after five months in space. The four are scheduled to splash down off the California coast at around 9.40pm aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule.

Source: New Zealand Herald January 15, 2026 15:49 UTC