NEW YORK — NASA has decided to abbreviate a mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS) following a medical concern involving one of its astronauts.

On Thursday, the space agency announced that the crew, comprising members from the United States, Japan, and Russia, will return to Earth sooner than initially planned. This decision comes after the cancellation of what would have been the first spacewalk of the year due to the health issue.

While NASA has chosen not to disclose the identity of the affected astronaut or the specific nature of the medical problem, they assure that the astronaut’s condition is stable. Dr. James Polk, NASA’s chief health and medical officer, emphasized, “It’s not an emergency evacuation, but we are erring on the side of caution for the crew member.”

The crew, which includes NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov, initially arrived at the ISS via SpaceX in August. They were scheduled for a six-month mission, but circumstances have prompted an early return to ensure the health and safety of the team.

The crew of four returning home arrived at the orbiting lab via SpaceX in August for a stay of at least six months. The crew included NASA’s Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke along with Japan’s Kimiya Yui and Russia’s Oleg Platonov.

Fincke and Cardman were supposed to carry out the spacewalk to make preparations for a future rollout of solar panels to provide additional power for the space station.

It was Fincke’s fourth visit to the space station and Yui’s second time, according to NASA. This was the first spaceflight for Cardman and Platonov.

“I’m proud of the swift effort across the agency thus far to ensure the safety of our astronauts,” NASA administrator Jared Isaacman said.

Three other astronauts are currently living and working aboard the space station including NASA’s Chris Williams and Russia’s Sergei Mikaev and Sergei Kud-Sverchkov, who launched in November aboard a Soyuz rocket for an eight-month stay. They’re due to return home in the summer.

NASA has tapped SpaceX to eventually bring the space station out of orbit by late 2030 or early 2031. Plans called for a safe reentry over ocean.

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