NASA Astronaut Rushed To Hospital On Return From ISS
When the Space-X Crew 8 craft returned to Earth, all four members of the crew were taken to Ascension Sacred Heart Pensacola. Three of the four crew members were released Friday, October 25, but one NASA astronaut was hospitalized overnight and returned to reconditioning training with the rest of the crew on Saturday. In order to protect the privacy of the astronaut in question, NASA has not released their name, but it is known that the one crew member who remained at the hospital overnight was an American from NASA.
The Cause For Hospitalization Is Unknown
The four crew members, Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, Jeanette Epps, and Alexander Grebenkin were reunited at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas when the one NASA astronaut who was hospitalized was released on Saturday.
The crew will undergo regular training to recondition themselves for the gravity environment on Earth. While it’s not known what the issue was that caused the NASA astronaut to be hospitalized, it is known that all training resumed following their release.
In Space For Longer Than Intended
The Space-X Crew Dragon capsule returned to Earth following a 235-day mission to the ISS, after weather delays caused them to change their re-entry plans even before the NASA astronaut was hospitalized. The stint aboard the space station was longer than usual, with the goal of preparing for expeditions beyond Earth orbit. As a part of research into expanding humanity’s reach into the farther reaches of our solar system and beyond, the crew participated in experiments designed to test various capabilities under microgravity conditions.
Astronauts who spend extended amounts of time in space can experience negative side effects from low gravity including vision changes, bone loss, and kidney stones. While it’s not clear what caused the NASA astronaut to be hospitalized, some of these issues could be the root of the problem. Since all astronauts have been cleared to return to training, it’s not likely that the crew member who was kept overnight has any serious injury.
NASA announced that the entire crew was rushed to the hospital out of an abundance of caution, and confirmed that the one NASA astronaut who was hospitalized overnight was fit to return to training, but did not comment further about the cause of the hospitalization.
Common Practice
Since astronauts, just like the rest of us, have a right to medical privacy, NASA was unable to share details about the crew members’ condition with the public. Incidents of astronauts needing medical treatment after returning to Earth are relatively common, as reacclimating to Earth’s environment after so much time away can be difficult.
The splash-down of the Space-X capsule went well, and there were no reported accidents during re-entry, so it’s likely that whatever caused the NASA astronaut to be hospitalized was one of the many potential maladies that go along with reconditioning to Earth’s conditions, rather than any type of injury.
Astronauts who spend time on the ISS can lose up to 14 percent of their blood volume as well as have trouble walking and stabilizing their movements in Earth’s gravitational pull. Low blood pressure combined with difficulty balancing can often be challenges for astronauts returning from space.
Source: NASA
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