LOS ANGELES, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said Thursday that the agency has decided to bring the crew of its latest mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS) back to Earth ahead of schedule after one of the four astronauts experienced a medical issue.
Isaacman told a press briefing that the medical situation occurred on Wednesday, but the astronaut is now in stable condition.
He said the decision was made following consultations with NASA's chief health and medical officer as well as senior leadership across the agency.
In the coming days, the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft will depart from the ISS, carrying the four astronauts back to Earth safely, Isaacman said.
NASA did not disclose further details about the affected crew member, citing medical privacy concerns.
The crew consists of NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Kimiya Yui and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov.
They arrived at the ISS on Aug. 2 of last year and were originally scheduled to remain aboard the station for about six months.
NASA has also postponed a spacewalk by astronauts Cardman and Fincke that was scheduled for Thursday, due to the ongoing medical issue involving one crew member. ■