NASA Astronaut Hospitalized Following Return from Record Space Mission

A NASA astronaut was transported to a Pensacola hospital shortly after returning from a nearly eight-month mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS), NASA reported. The astronaut, whose identity remains private, experienced an unspecified medical issue after landing early Friday morning off the Florida coast aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule alongside three other crew members: NASA’s Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin.

The mission, lasting 235 days, exceeded the standard six-month duration and set a record for the longest continuous stay in orbit for a Crew Dragon spacecraft. All four crew members underwent routine post-splashdown medical evaluations, though NASA later clarified that only one astronaut was kept at Ascension Sacred Heart Pensacola hospital, where they are now in stable condition under observation. The other crew members have since returned to Houston, NASA reported.

Crew Dragon’s return was delayed due to weather, but ultimately the capsule undocked from the ISS Wednesday and reentered Earth’s atmosphere early Friday, deploying parachutes before splashing down in the Gulf of Mexico. NASA’s Richard Jones acknowledged minor issues with the parachute deployment, but confirmed they did not compromise the crew’s safety. SpaceX continues to be NASA’s primary transportation partner for ISS missions, as Boeing’s Starliner remains in development.

This recent return marks Crew Dragon’s fifth flight, bringing its total time in orbit to 702 days since its debut, according to SpaceX’s William Gerstenmaier.