Source : WAM
Command of the International Space Station (ISS) has been transferred ahead of the early return of four crew members following a medical issue.
U.S. astronaut Michael Fincke formally handed over command of the ISS to Russian cosmonaut Sergey Kud-Sverchkov on Monday.
The return of the four astronauts is set to begin on Wednesday. NASA has not specified which crew members are affected or disclosed details of the medical condition.
NASA had earlier announced that all four members of Crew-11 – Fincke, fellow NASA astronaut Zena Cardman, Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov, would return to Earth ahead of schedule, marking the first early crew return in the station’s history.
All crew members were present at the handover ceremony and delivered brief remarks. Crew-11 had originally been expected to remain aboard the ISS for several additional weeks. Meanwhile, the launch of the next crew is currently scheduled for mid-February, though it could be moved forward.
Kud-Sverchkov arrived at the ISS in November aboard a Soyuz spacecraft, alongside cosmonaut Sergey Mikaev and NASA astronaut Christopher Williams.
