Space Station Crew's Early Return: A Medical Mystery

A crew of four astronauts is heading back to Earth sooner than planned. One of them has a medical issue that can't be fixed in space. The crew includes:

• NASA's Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke
• Japan's Kimiya Yui
• Russia's Oleg Platonov

They've been busy packing up and cleaning their workspace on the International Space Station (ISS).

Final Tasks Before Departure

Before leaving, they continued with science experiments:

• Cardman checked another astronaut's arteries and blood pressure. She also used special equipment to look at her own eyes.
• Platonov helped with fixing some station systems.
• Yui tried out a new way to clean surfaces using ultraviolet light. He also shared some amazing photos of Earth from space.

Early Return Due to Medical Issue

This crew was supposed to stay until February. However, NASA decided to bring them back early because of the medical issue. They didn't specify who it is or what's wrong.

NASA's top doctor explained that they don't have all the medical tools in space that they have on Earth. So, they need to bring the astronaut back to get proper treatment.

Fincke, who was in charge of the crew, handed over control to another astronaut. He said it was a bit sad to leave early.

Return to Earth

The crew is now getting ready to leave the space station and come back to Earth. They're scheduled to land in the Pacific Ocean near California. Weather conditions look good for their return.