Worldwide attention followed the disclosure of a mysterious illness affecting NASA's veteran astronaut Mike Fincke, who suddenly lost his ability to speak, causing the mission to fail, with doctors still unable to determine the cause.
Mike Fincke, a four-time space traveler, revealed the incident occurred on 7 January while he was eating after preparing for a spacewalk scheduled for the next day.
He described the symptom as sudden and unexpected, with an abrupt inability to speak but no accompanying pain, prompting fellow crew members aboard the International Space Station (ISS) to quickly assist and urgently contact ground medical teams.
Fincke said in an interview from the Johnson Space Center in Houston that it happened without warning and unfolded incredibly fast.
The 59-year-old former U.S. Air Force officer stated the condition lasted about 20 minutes before returning to normal, and he has never experienced such symptoms before or since.
He explained that all six crew members immediately came to his aid when they noticed his unusual condition.
Despite multiple thorough medical examinations after returning to Earth, NASA has not identified a definitive cause for the symptoms.
At the time, the crew used ultrasound equipment aboard the space station for an initial assessment, and NASA began reviewing other astronauts' health data to investigate any related cases.
Fincke noted he could not share further details because NASA aims to protect astronauts' health privacy to prevent public concern should similar incidents occur in the future.
This event represents NASA's first "medical evacuation from the space station," leading to the cancellation of what would have been Fincke's tenth spacewalk and the first for his teammate.
Additionally, four crew members had to return to Earth ahead of schedule aboard a SpaceX vehicle on 15 January—more than a month earlier than planned—and were immediately hospitalized.
Fincke admitted feeling guilty that his condition caused the mission's cancellation but received encouragement from NASA leaders, colleagues, and Jared Isaacman, who urged him to stop blaming himself, saying, "This is not your fault; it's a matter of space." Fincke remains optimistic and hopes for another chance to serve in space.
/source:channelnewsasia
Click to read more about international news