Crew-8 Returns to Earth: NASA Warns SpaceX To Prioritize Safety After Astronaut Hospitalisations
28th Oct 2024
The NASA SpaceX Crew-8 astronauts returned safely to Earth after an extended eight-month mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Early Friday morning, 25 October, the four-member team splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Pensacola, Florida. However, the landing was followed by an unexpected medical situation.
They travelled back in SpaceX’s Dragon capsule, marking the end of NASA’s longest human mission using SpaceX’s reusable spacecraft.

NASA Urges SpaceX to Prioritize Crew Safety Amid Rising Launch Rates
NASA has responded cautiously to recent safety concerns regarding SpaceX’s commercial missions to the International Space Station (ISS).
Following the hospitalization of four astronauts after a Crew Dragon splashdown, NASA’s Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel highlighted the importance of maintaining a strong safety focus amidst SpaceX’s high launch tempo.
Former astronaut and panel member Kent Rominger pointed to recent “anomalies” with SpaceX’s Falcon 9 and Dragon crew systems, urging NASA and SpaceX to avoid complacency as launch frequencies increase. Despite SpaceX’s reliable track record, Rominger emphasized the need for vigilant oversight to ensure astronaut safety remains the priority.
“When you look at these recent incidents over the last handful of weeks, it does lead one say that it’s apparent that operating safely requires significant attention to detail as hardware ages and the pace of operations increases,” Rominger is quoted as saying. “Both NASA and SpaceX need to maintain focus on safe Crew Dragon operations and not take any ‘normal’ operations for granted.”

SpaceX Crew-8 astronaut is hospitalised
Update 27 October
Following the splashdown, routine medical assessments were conducted on the recovery ship. However, out of an abundance of caution, additional evaluation was requested for the crew members. As a precautionary measure, all four astronauts were flown to Ascension Sacred Heart Pensacola Hospital for further medical checks.
While three of the crew members were subsequently released, one NASA astronaut remained at the hospital under observation. NASA did not disclose specific medical information or identify which astronaut was hospitalized, citing privacy concerns.
On 26 October, NASA announced that the hospitalized astronaut had been released in “good health”. The crew member has since returned to the Johnson Space Center in Houston and will resume normal post-flight reconditioning alongside the other crew members.
A Fiery Re-entry and Safe Splashdown of Crew-8
The SpaceX Dragon capsule, named Endeavour, began its journey home on Wednesday afternoon, undocking from the ISS. It completed a fiery descent through Earth’s atmosphere, reaching an intense speed of 17,500 mph before slowing to a gentle 16 mph under parachutes.
The capsule splashed down just before 3:30 a.m. ET, marking a textbook recovery for SpaceX and NASA.
NASA noted that this mission sets a duration record for a human-rated capsule, with Endeavour accumulating a total of 701 days in orbit across various missions.
Crew-8 was led by NASA commander Matthew Dominick, with NASA pilot Michael Barratt, NASA mission specialist Jeanette Epps, and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin from Roscosmos rounding out the team.
In total, they spent 235 days in space; longer than any previous crewed mission on a SpaceX capsule.
Routine Medical Evaluations and an Abundance of Caution
Following their splashdown, all four crew members were transferred to a recovery ship for standard medical evaluations. NASA later confirmed that the team was taken to a hospital in Pensacola “for additional evaluation.”
Although most of the crew has since returned to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, one astronaut remains under observation for a “medical issue,” though NASA assures the astronaut is “in stable condition” and is simply being monitored as a precaution.
In a statement, NASA shared, “After medical evaluation at the hospital, three of the crew members departed Pensacola and have arrived at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.”
NASA has not identified the astronaut remaining in Pensacola, citing medical privacy.
A Mission Filled with Research and Record Numbers
Crew-8’s mission, which began with a launch on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket on March 3, 2024, involved critical scientific research. Their research projects included studying the shift of body fluids in space and the impact of microgravity and UV radiation on plant growth.
Crew-8 also witnessed a record-breaking period in space, with 19 astronauts in orbit at the same time when the Soyuz MS-26 spacecraft brought an additional NASA astronaut and two Roscosmos cosmonauts to the station in September. This figure included astronauts on China’s Tiangong space station.
Delays and Challenges Extend Crew-8’s Mission
Originally slated to return in August, Crew-8’s mission was extended multiple times due to unforeseen challenges. Issues with Boeing’s Starliner capsule, which experienced thruster problems during its June approach to the ISS, led NASA to opt for SpaceX’s Dragon instead, with Starliner deemed unsafe for return.
Starliner returned to Earth uncrewed in September, and the Crew-9 mission, arriving at the ISS later that month, will eventually bring home the astronauts intended for Starliner: Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore.
Crew-8’s homecoming was also delayed by Hurricane Milton and challenging splashdown conditions off Florida over the past week. Despite these delays, the mission concluded safely, with SpaceX and NASA celebrating another successful return.
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