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NASA Crew-8 mission: Astronaut suffers 'medical issue' after splashdown off Florida coast

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Published  October 25, 2024 2:03pm CDT
NASA
FOX 35 Orlando

The Brief

    • A Crew-8 astronaut experienced a "medical issue" shortly after splashing down safely on Earth off the coast of Florida, NASA said.
    • All four astronauts were flown to Ascension Sacred Heart Pensacola in Florida's Panhandle. Three have since been released.
    • The astronaut who remains at the hospital is "under observation as a precautionary measure."

NASA's Crew-8 successfully splashed down early Friday morning off the coast of Pensacola, Florida, following more than seven months aboard the International Space Station.

NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin splashed down shortly after 3:30 a.m. Crew-8 undocked from the Space Station on Wednesday at 5:05 p.m.

Their return to Earth was delayed slightly due to Hurricane Milton and lingering weather conditions.

Astronaut suffers "medical issue" shortly after splashdown on Earth

A member of NASA's Crew-8 mission suffered a "medical issue" shortly after splashing down off the coast of Florida early Friday morning. All four astronauts were flown to Ascension Sacred Heart Pensacola in Florida.

Three of the four astronauts were released and have arrived at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. The fourth member, who NASA did not identify, remains at the hospital.

"The one astronaut who remains at Ascension is in stable condition under observation as a precautionary measure. To protect the crew member’s medical privacy, specific details on the individual’s condition or identity will not be shared.," NASA said in a Friday afternoon update.

"During its return to Earth, the SpaceX Dragon executed a normal entry and splashdown. Recovery of the crew and the spacecraft was without incident. During routine medical assessments on the recovery ship, the additional evaluation of the crew members was requested out of an abundance of caution."

The astronauts first launched to the International Space Station on March 4 aboard SpaceX's Endeavor capsule and arrived on March 5.

The team planned to perform more than 200 experiments and demonstrations during their mission, including using stem cells to create organoid models to study degenerative diseases, studying the effects of microgravity and UV radiation on plant cells, and how pressure cuffs on their legs may prevent fluid shifts, according to NASA's blog.

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