The space station crew was taken for medical evaluation after returning from a record-breaking 235-day mission

Three NASA astronauts and a Russian cosmonaut returned to Earth early Friday, landing in the Gulf of Mexico to conclude an extended 235-day expedition to the International Space Station. But one of the crew members experienced a “medical issue” of some kind after the plane went down and was taken to a hospital in Pensacola.

NASA said in a statement 10 hours after the Crew Dragon landed that the astronaut was “in stable condition under observation as a precaution.” “To protect the medical privacy of crew members, specific details about the individual’s condition or identity will not be shared.”

The other three crew members were transported to the Johnson Space Center on a NASA aircraft. No other details were immediately available.

After a high-speed return over Central America and a steep descent toward the Gulf, Eighth Crew Commander Matthew Dominick, co-pilot Michael Barratt, astronaut Janet Epps, and astronaut Alexander Grebenkin settled for a relatively gentle landing on the target south. Pensacola, Florida, 3:29 a.m. EST.

A SpaceX team stationed nearby was on the scene within minutes to stabilize the capsule, ensure there were no toxic propellant fumes and then transport it onto a nearby recovery ship where NASA flight surgeons and support staff were standing by to assist the station’s returning astronauts. Outside the crew cabin.

Despite two hours of exercise a day throughout their stay in orbit, astronauts returning to the station need about a month or more to regain their “ground legs” after months in the weightless environment of space.

As usual for returning station crews, Dominic, Barratt, Epps and Grebenkin were removed from Crew Dragon and assisted on stretchers before being rolled inside the ship for initial medical checks and calls to family and friends. All four appeared in good spirits, smiling and waving as they entered.

But four hours later, NASA reported that all four crew members “were transported to a local medical facility for additional evaluation… out of an abundance of caution.”

NASA later said they were transferred to the Sacred Ascension Heart in Pensacola. After medical evaluation at the hospital, three crew members boarded a NASA Gulfstream aircraft and returned to Ellington Field near the Johnson Space Center in Houston.

“While returning to Earth, the SpaceX Dragon vehicle performed a normal entry and landing,” NASA said in its afternoon update. “The crew and spacecraft were recovered without incident. During routine medical evaluations on the recovery ship, additional evaluation of the crew members was requested out of an abundance of caution.”

Space station missions typically last about six months, and while the Crew 8 mission lasted about a month longer than expected — 235 days — the astronauts and other astronauts spent a full year in space and returned to Earth without incident.

But given NASA’s strict adherence to medical privacy guidelines, it is unknown what additional details, if any, may be revealed.

However, Russian space agency Roscosmos posted a photo of Grebenkin standing unaided, with a caption saying the cosmonaut was “feeling great.” It is not known where or when the photo was taken.

The Crew 8 aircraft were launched on March 3 and were originally expected to return to Earth in September. But the flight was delayed to early October following the decision to postpone the launch of Crew 9 replacements due to problems with Boeing’s Starliner crew ferry ship.

NASA ultimately ruled out returning Starliner commander Barry “Butch” Wilmore and co-pilot Sunita Williams to Earth aboard the Boeing spacecraft. Instead, the Starliner went down Without its crew On September 7, Crew 9 was launched with only two passengers – Nick Hague and astronaut Alexander Gobrunov – On September 28th.

This freed up two seats on board the Crew Dragon for Wilmore and Williams to use when they returned home the next February with Hague and Gorbunov.

Sorting it all out pushed the departure of the 8th crew to October. Then NASA and SpaceX were repeatedly disrupted by high winds and rough waves at approved landing sites, much of it related to Hurricanes Helen and Milton.

But this week, conditions in the Gulf finally met NASA’s safety guidelines and the crew was cleared to withdraw and head home.

As Crew 8 returns to Earth, Crew 9 will board their Crew Dragon capsule early on Sunday, November 3, detach from the forward port of the Harmony module and then re-docking in the port facing space.

The next day, a SpaceX cargo ship bound for the International Space Station is scheduled to launch from Kennedy Space Center. After an automatic appointment, the ship will dock at the just vacated foreshore on November 5, which is Election Day in the United States.