Crew-8 Astronauts Head to Hospital Following Splashdown

Following splashdown, crewmembers were flown to a local hospital, where one remains in ‘stable condition,’ NASA says.

NASA Crew-8 astronauts splashed down Friday morning off the coast of Florida. [Courtesy: NASA TV]

After living and working on the International Space Station (ISS) for more than 200 days, NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin are back home on Earth.

The SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour carrying the four-person crew of NASA’s Crew-8 astronaut rotation mission splashed down Friday morning around 3:30 a.m. EDT off the coast of Florida. However, NASA in a Friday afternoon update said one crewmember—whose identity and condition will not be shared due to privacy concerns—suffered a "medical issue" after landing.

During the nearly eight-month mission—the eighth flight to the ISS under NASA’s Commercial Crew program—astronauts conducted more than 200 scientific experiments designed to prepare humans to journey beyond Earth orbit, as well as study earthly issues such as Parkinson’s disease.

“Welcome home, Crew-8!” said Dana Weigel, NASA’s ISS program manager. “After traveling nearly 100 million miles around the Earth and 235 days in space, your journey is a reminder that no achievement in space—or on Earth—happens alone. Your dedication, resilience, and teamwork have brought us closer to new frontiers, and we couldn’t be prouder of what you’ve achieved.”

Crew-8, planned to be a six-month ISS mission, was extended by nearly two months due to inclement weather and issues with Boeing’s Starliner capsule. But that allowed Crew Dragon Endeavour to set several records, including the longest flight by a crew-carrying spacecraft at more than 225 days.

Following splashdown, the astronauts exited the spacecraft and headed for a standard postflight medical evaluation. According to Cheryl Warner, news chief for NASA’s office of communications, they were then taken to a local hospital “for additional evaluation.”

NASA on Friday afternoon said the crew was taken to Ascension Sacred Heart Pensacola in Florida after one astronaut experienced a “medical issue” after landing. The agency said the crewmember is in stable condition. The remaining crewmembers are now at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

“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. “We’re grateful to Ascension Sacred Heart for its support during this time, and we are proud of our team for its quick action to ensure the safety of our crew members.”

The space agency said more information will be shared as it becomes available.

This is a developing story. We will provide updates on the situation as we learn more.

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Jack is a staff writer covering advanced air mobility, including everything from drones to unmanned aircraft systems to space travel—and a whole lot more. He spent close to two years reporting on drone delivery for FreightWaves, covering the biggest news and developments in the space and connecting with industry executives and experts. Jack is also a basketball aficionado, a frequent traveler and a lover of all things logistics.

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