A major update on “medical event” aboard NASA’s International Space Station (ISS) in January came on Wednesday as veteran NASA astronaut, Mike Fincke, identified himself as the staff member who experienced health issues.
The medical emergency prompted NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission to carry out an emergency evacuation from the ISS for the first time. The astronauts evacuated were NASA’s Zena Cardman, Japan’s Kimiya Yui and cosmonaut Oleg Platonov from Russia.
NASA had not disclosed the nature of the medical event or the identity of the astronaut who suffered the health scare, even as the evacuation was successful on January 15.
Fincke confirmed that he experienced the health issues that forced the Crew 11 to abandon the mission four months early. Crew 11 had departed in August 2025 and was scheduled to complete its mission in April 2026.
“On January 7, while abroad the ISS, I experienced a medical event that required immediate attention from my incredible crewmates,” Fincke said in a statement via NASA.
“After further evaluation, NASA determined the safest course was an early return for Crew-11 — not an emergency, but a carefully coordinated plan to be able to take advantage of advanced medical imaging not available on the space station,” it added.
Here, we will look at five interesting facts about veteran NASA astronaut Mike Fincke.
1. He is from Emsworth, near Pittsburgh
Mike Fincke is a Pennsylvania native and grew up in Emsworth, just outside the state capital, Pittsburgh. He attended Pennsylvania State University before studying at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
2. His wife is of Indian origin
Mike Fincke’s wife, Renita Saikia, is of northeast Indian origin. Her parents, Rupesh and Probha Saikia emigrated from Assam, India. They lived in Houston, Texas, where Renita grew up. She works at NASA in research operations and integration. They have three children.
3. He has spent fourth-most time is space among NASA astronauts
Mike Fincke has flown four missions, logging over 549 days in space by 2026. It makes him the fourth highest among NASA astronauts for cumulative time in space.
4. Medical issue remains undisclosed
NASA has not disclosed the nature of the medical issue that Fincke suffered on the ISS. It is known that it happened during a planned spacewalk on January 7.
5. He is a retired US Air Force Colonel
Fincke graduated from the US Air Force Academy in 1990. In 1996, while still serving in the Air Force, he was selected as a NASA astronaut candidate. He later retired from the Air Force with the rank of Colonel and worked at NASA full time.
