NASA postponed a maintenance spacewalk at the International Space Station on January 7, 2026. The work was scheduled for the next day, but officials delayed the walk after a medical issue involving a crew member arose that afternoon.
The unidentified astronaut is in stable condition and remains aboard the space station. Medical teams are watching the crew member’s health closely, but NASA is not sharing specific details about the issue to protect the astronaut’s privacy.
NASA is considering several options for the mission, including bringing the Crew-11 team back to Earth earlier than planned.
The international crew includes mission commander Mike Fincke, flight engineer Zena Cardman, Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov. The team has been living at the space station since arriving on August 2, 2025, following a launch from Florida.
The mission was originally expected to end between mid-February and May 2026. Ending the mission early would make the crew's stay shorter than the usual six to eight months.
The postponed spacewalk was intended to last about six and a half hours. NASA assigned astronauts Mike Fincke and Zena Cardman to prepare the electrical system for new solar panels.
The event would have been a major career milestone for both astronauts. It was scheduled to be the first spacewalk for Cardman. The walk would have made Fincke the sixth American to complete ten spacewalks.
This health issue is a reminder of the risks involved in space travel. According to agency records, a similar incident occurred in October 2024 following the SpaceX Crew-8 mission. In that case, an unidentified crew member was briefly hospitalized after returning to Florida.
NASA has not yet announced a new date for the maintenance work or a final decision on when the Crew-11 team will return home.
