After nearly eight months aboard the International Space Station, Nasa astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, and Jeanette Epps addressed the public Friday for the first time since their October 25 return, notably declining to specify which one of them required a hospital stay immediately after splashdown. The trio, along with Russian cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin, endured an extended mission due to Boeing’s Starliner crew capsule delays and adverse weather, including Hurricane Milton.
Their SpaceX capsule splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico near Florida, where they were promptly transferred to a Pensacola hospital. One of the three American astronauts spent the night for a “medical issue,” though NASA, citing privacy concerns, withheld both the identity and condition of the astronaut.
Despite repeated inquiries, the astronauts sidestepped questions on the hospitalization. Barratt, a space medicine specialist, only remarked that spaceflight continues to present unexpected health challenges. “Spaceflight is still something we don’t fully understand,” Barratt noted. “We’re finding things that we don’t expect… This was one of those times, and we’re still piecing things together.”
Epps, describing the readjustment to Earth’s gravity, shared, “Everyone is different in how they respond… That’s the part that you can’t predict.” Dominick added that seemingly simple tasks, like sitting comfortably, took time to adjust to, while he conducted an experiment foregoing treadmill use during the mission to evaluate equipment needs for future Mars expeditions.
Their mission also highlighted a key development delay for Boeing’s Starliner capsule, which is still grounded. Two test pilots remain aboard the ISS and will return with SpaceX next year.
