A SpaceX capsule undocked from the International Space Station on Wednesday, sending a four-member crew back to Earth earlier than planned after one astronaut fell seriously ill.
The Crew Dragon spacecraft, carrying two NASA astronauts, a Japanese crewmember and a Russian cosmonaut, pulled away from the station around 5:20 pm EST (2220 GMT). It is now on course for a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off the California coast early Thursday.
Officials said the mission was cut short after one of the crew developed what they described as a “serious medical condition.” No further details about the astronaut’s illness have been made public.
The early return marks a first in the space station’s 25-year history, with no previous mission having been ended prematurely because of a medical emergency in orbit.
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