Meet the four astronauts in the first urgent space evacuation

The International Space Station (ISS) made headlines as four astronauts returned to Earth early after a medical emergency. The crew, consisting of two Americans, a Russian cosmonaut, and a Japanese astronaut, spent five months aboard the ISS before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean. This is the first time NASA has conducted an early return due to a medical concern.

On January 8, 2026, NASA decided to cut the mission short after one crew member experienced a medical issue. The astronaut is now stable, but officials have not disclosed who it was to respect privacy.

Microgravity affects the human body in many ways, from bone density loss to fluid shifts. While most issues are managed on board, this was the first urgent evacuation of its kind. The four astronauts on the mission were Mike Fincke, Zena Cardman, Oleg Platonov, and Kimiya Yui.

Mike Fincke – Veteran American Astronaut

Mike Fincke has spent over 537 days in space. A retired United States Air Force colonel, he has completed nine spacewalks. Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Fincke graduated from MIT with a degree in Aeronautics and Astronautics. He is certified to pilot Boeing Starliner and SpaceX Crew Dragon.

Fincke joined NASA in April 1996 and trained at the Johnson Space Centre. He served as an ISS Spacecraft Communicator and as a backup crew member and commander for several ISS expeditions. Fincke also appeared in films like Star Trek: Enterprise (2001), Arthur (1996), and Nova (1974).

He is married to Renita Saikia Fincke and has three children. When his youngest, Tarali, was born, he was in space. NASA helped him witness the birth via video-conferencing, and Renita said:
“Mike heard Tarali’s first cries and was even able to see her with the NASA-provided video-conferencing equipment!”

Zena Cardman – American Geobiologist

Zena Cardman is an American geobiologist and a member of NASA Astronaut Group 22. She majored in Biology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and minored in chemistry and marine sciences. Selected as an astronaut candidate in 2017, she trained for two years at Johnson Space Centre.

Cardman flew as the commander of the SpaceX Crew-11 mission, launched on August 1, 2025, and conducted research and technology demonstrations aboard the ISS. She shared her joy after selection:
“I don’t think I ever smiled that big in my life. I had my hand over my heart, because it was just absolute, utter overwhelming emotion. I haven’t stopped smiling since.”

Oleg Platonov – Russian Cosmonaut and Former Military Pilot

Oleg Platonov, born in Russia, is a cosmonaut selected by Roscosmos in 2018. A former military pilot and engineer, he studied at the Krasnodar Higher Military Aviation School of Pilots, specializing in Aircraft Operation and Air Traffic Management.

Platonov served ten years in the Russian Air Force, reaching the rank of major, before joining the Crew-11 mission in 2025 aboard a U.S. Crew Dragon spacecraft.

Kimiya Yui – First Japanese Astronaut from Military Background

Kimiya Yui, a retired fighter pilot, was selected by JAXA in 2009. He graduated from the National Defence Academy of Japan in 1992 and piloted many fighter jets. Yui had to retire from the military due to Japan’s policy separating scientific and military fields.

He became a certified ISS astronaut in 2011, conducted a 24-hour undersea mission in 2012, and led the JAXA Astronaut Corps in 2016. Yui spent 142 days aboard the ISS as a flight engineer, controlling robotics for the capture of “KOUNOTORI5 (HTV5)”. In August 2025, he began his second long-duration mission aboard the ISS.

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