A NASA astronaut aboard SpaceX Dragon was treated for an undisclosed “medical issue” following the rocket’s long-awaited splash landing off the coast of Florida.
“After safely splashing down on Earth as part of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission Friday, a NASA astronaut experienced a medical issue,” NASA said in a press statement.
NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, and Jeanette Epps were taken to Ascension Sacred Heart Pensacola in Florida along with Russian cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin, the space agency said Friday.
Three of the explorers were later flown to Houston, Texas, while one remained behind. NASA didn’t release the name of the astronaut receiving ongoing treatment as a matter of privacy. It doesn’t appear that individual’s health issue was connected with a problematic landing.
“During its return to Earth, the SpaceX Dragon executed a normal entry and splashdown,” according to NASA. “Recovery of the crew and the spacecraft was without incident. During routine medical assessments on the recovery ship, the additional evaluation of the crew members was requested out of an abundance of caution.”
NASA said it would provide an update when more information becomes available. Astronauts’ bodies sometimes take anywhere from a couple days to a couple weeks to reacclimate to Earth’s gravity after being weightless in space for several months.
SpaceX Dragon parachuted the Gulf of Mexico near Pensacola, ending a 235-day mission that included 232 days on the International Space Station, where its passengers participated in scientific research.
The crew’s return to Earth was delayed by capsule issues and dangerous conditions associated with Hurricane Milton. The astronauts expected to be back several weeks ago, but the Boeing Starliner astronaut capsule that was supposed to bring them home encountered mechanical complications. NASA uses spacecrafts from Boeing and SpaceX to shuttle researchers to and from the space station.
While waiting to come come, the crew was forced to remain at the station, which ideally hosts seven guests rather than the 11 who were there. Space.com said the International Space Station once housed 13 visitors. Four Americans remain aboard the station. They are among the 10 humans currently in space, according to WhoIsInSpacec.com. The others are Russian and Chinese.