health
Astronaut's sudden speech loss prompts first ISS medical evacuation
Retired Col. Mike Fincke experienced a sudden, temporary loss of speech aboard the ISS that triggered the station's first known medical evacuation; doctors have ruled out choking and heart attack but have not yet determined a cause.
Apr 2nd 2026 ยท United States
Insights
- Retired Col. Mike Fincke lost the ability to speak for about 20 minutes while aboard the International Space Station.
- The incident led to the cancellation of a planned spacewalk and the crew's evacuation on January 15 aboard SpaceX Crew Dragon.
- The crew splashed down in the Pacific and were flown to Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla for urgent evaluation.
- Doctors have ruled out choking and heart attack but have not identified a definitive cause.
- Investigators are considering prolonged exposure to microgravity as a possible factor and continue medical testing.