An astronaut in need of doctors' care departed the International Space Station with three crewmates on Wednesday in NASA's first medical evacuation. The four returning astronauts — from the U.S., Russia and Japan — are aiming for an early Thursday morning splashdown in the Pacific near San Diego with SpaceX.

An astronaut in need of doctors' care departed the International Space Station with three crewmates on Wednesday in NASA's first medical evacuation. Link:

Four astronauts splashed down in the Pacific Ocean as they return early from the International Space Station due to a crew member’s medical issue.

In a historic event for NASA, four astronauts — two Americans, a Russian, and a Japanese — have returned to Earth early from the International Space Station due to a medical concern. This pioneering orbital medical evacuation cuts their mission short by more than a month,

A SpaceX capsule carrying a four-member crew home from orbit in an emergency return to earth necessitated by an undisclosed serious medical condition afflicting one of the astronauts splashed down safely early on Thursday in the Pacific Ocean off California.

Crew-11 is “safe and in good spirits,” a NASA official said. The team was recalled early after a crew member had a medical problem warranting care on Earth.

The four astronauts of SpaceX's Crew-11 mission made it to Houston today (Jan. 16), just a day after their unprecedented medical evacuation from the International Space Station.