The Nasa astronaut whose health scare prompted the US space agency’s first medical evacuation has been named as Mike Fincke.
Fincke, 58, came forward in a statement yesterday evening but did not reveal what the medical condition was.
He stressed, however, that his condition stabilised thanks to his crew and surgeons on the ground.
The veteran said: ‘I’m doing very well and continuing standard post-flight reconditioning at Nasa’s Johnson Space Center in Houston,
‘Spaceflight is an incredible privilege, and sometimes it reminds us just how human we are.’
This was Fincke’s fourth time on the International Space Station having spent 546 days there.
He was alongside Nasa’s Dena Cardman; Kimiya Yui of JAXA, the Japanese space agency and Russia’s Oleg Platonov of Roscosmos.
Their mission, known as Crew-11, was set to end this month but they were brought back to Earth on January 15.
Nasa said at the time that Fincke’s medical episode did not require immediate help, but it was thought best to undock given the ISS’ limited facilities.
On this, Fincke said: ‘After further evaluation, Nasa determined the safest course was an early return for Crew-11 – not an emergency, but a carefully coordinated plan to be able to take advantage of advanced medical imaging not available on the space station.
‘On Jan 15, we splashed down off the coast of San Diego after an amazing five-and-a-half-month mission.’
They returned in a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, built by Elon Musk’s rocket company, and splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off San Diego.
Dolphins even came to greet the crew as they bobbed around the capsule.
Nasa has long had a policy not to disclose staff’s personal medical information for privacy reasons.
Only those that could aid in scientific research – such as how bodies are impacted by life in outer space – are made public.
Living on the ISS for an extended period can lead to ‘puffy face and chicken legs’, as one expert told Metro.
Even four days floating up in the cosmos can alter the body, researchers found in 2024. This includes increased likelihood of developing kidney stones, stressed immune systems and slower reaction speeds.
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