Four International Space Station crew members splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on Thursday (January 15, 2026), NASA footage showed, after the first ever medical evacuation in the orbital lab's history. Crew-12 is expected to launch to the space station in mid-February with four more astronauts. Unable to bear their own weight on Earth ‌after spending months in microgravity, the four were each assisted onto special gurneys and escorted to an onboard ‌medical station for routine checkups at sea. Afterward they were to be flown to a local hospital for further medical exams, SpaceX said. Ready for the unexpectedContinuously inhabited since 2000, the International Space Station seeks to showcase multinational cooperation, bringing together Europe, Japan, the United States and Russia.

Source: The Hindu January 15, 2026 18:04 UTC