Four astronauts are now en route home from the International Space Station, marking the first time NASA has brought a crew home prematurely amid a health concern. And their unprecedented early departure leaves behind a bare-bones staff to look after the outpost.Only three people remain on the orbiting laboratory: Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev of Russia and NASA astronaut Chris Williams.The four returning astronauts climbed aboard their SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule on Wednesday afternoon and, just before 3:30 p.m. ET, closed the hatch between the spacecraft and the International Space Station in preparation for their departure.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe Crew Dragon capsule then left the station at 5:20 p.m. ET.It’s a less-than-ideal scenario. NASA has repeatedly signaled that keeping the ISS fully staffed is a top priority, as the agency aims to maximize the amount of scientific research it can conduct on the aging station before it’s permanently retired early next decade.NASA’s new administrator, Jared Isaacman, made the decision last week to bring the four-person crew home early when the agency canceled a January 8 spacewalk slated to be carried out by American astronauts Mike Fincke and Zena Cardman.“For over 60 years, NASA’s set the standard for safety and security in crewed spaceflight,” Isaacman said during a news conference last week. “In these endeavors, including the 25 years of continuous human presence on board the International Space Station, the health and the well-being of our astronauts is always and will be our highest priority.”Crew-11’s Dragon capsule is seen here as it separates from the International Space Station on Wednesday.Fincke and Cardman, along with astronaut Kimiya Yui of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov, are part of the Crew-11 mission that’s leaving the space station. NASA did not say which crew member is experiencing a medical concern — nor did the space agency provide any details about the nature of the condition, citing privacy concerns. However, NASA has said the affected astronaut is in stable condition.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement“Everyone on board is stable, safe, and well cared for,” Fincke confirmed in a statement posted to LinkedIn. “This was a deliberate decision to allow the right medical evaluations to happen on the ground, where the full range of diagnostic capability exists. It’s the right call, even if it’s a bit …
