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Veteran Astronaut Fincke Leaves NASA Post-Space Station Incident
12 Aug
Summary
- Astronaut Mike Fincke is leaving NASA after a medical emergency on the ISS.
- Fincke experienced a mysterious ailment that caused temporary speech loss aboard the station.
- His departure marked the first health-related mission cut short for NASA's ISS staffing.
Mike Fincke, a seasoned NASA astronaut with 549 days in orbit over four missions, is concluding his career at the space agency. His departure follows a mysterious medical incident aboard the International Space Station in mid-January, which resulted in temporary speech loss and prompted an early return for him and his three crewmates. This event marked a historic first, as it was the initial instance of NASA cutting short an ISS staffing mission due to health concerns.
Fincke, who joined the astronaut corps in 1996, stated his commitment to exploration and a desire to mentor future explorers. The medical event aboard the ISS remains under investigation by NASA and medical researchers, with Fincke noting it felt like distress but not choking. The need for advanced medical imaging not available on the station was cited as the reason for the crew's expedited return.
Following the incident, NASA quickly canceled a planned spacewalk and expedited the crew's return trip. This also necessitated speeding up the launch of the subsequent staffing mission to bring the station back to its usual complement of seven astronauts. Fincke's departure, alongside his crewmates from SpaceX Crew-11, briefly left the ISS with only three astronauts.
