NASA remains tight-lipped on Crew-8 astronaut's post spaceflight health scare
NASA is yet to reveal the details of a medical issue that resulted in the hospitalization of one of its astronauts, after returning from space last month. The astronaut was part of the four-member SpaceX Crew-8 mission to the International Space Station (ISS). Their journey ended with a successful splashdown off Florida's coast on October 25. However, shortly after landing, all four astronauts were taken for medical evaluation.
Astronaut's extended hospital stay raises questions
The Crew-8 mission had NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, Jeanette Epps, and Alexander Grebenkin from Russia's space agency Roscosmos. After returning to Earth, all four were taken to a Florida hospital for evaluation. While three were discharged the same day, one astronaut remained overnight "as a precautionary measure," NASA officials said. This extended stay has raised questions about the astronaut's health condition post-landing.
NASA maintains confidentiality amid ongoing investigation
The fourth astronaut was discharged the next day and is said to be doing well, according to NASA's post from last month. However, the agency has not disclosed the identity of this astronaut or any details about their medical condition, citing privacy concerns. "To maintain medical privacy and to let our processes go forward in an orderly manner, this is all we're going to say about that event at this time," Barratt said during a press conference on November 8.
Crew-8's extended space stay and future disclosures
The Crew-8 mission lasted 235 days, much longer than a typical ISS crew rotation of roughly six months. But that's not the longest an astronaut has spent in space. The record for a continuous space stay belongs to cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov who spent 437 days aboard the Soviet-Russian Mir space station in 1994-1995. Barratt assured that once their processes are completed, NASA will disclose what happened.
