A veteran NASA astronaut has broken his silence about a mysterious medical emergency that occurred aboard the International Space Station earlier this year, an incident that doctors still cannot explain.
Mike Fincke, a seasoned space traveler with four missions under his belt, revealed Friday that he was the crew member who became suddenly ill on January 7th while having dinner following preparations for a spacewalk scheduled the next day. The 59-year-old retired Air Force colonel lost his ability to speak without experiencing any pain, prompting his concerned crewmates to immediately seek assistance from medical personnel on Earth.
“It was completely out of the blue. It was just amazingly quick,” Fincke told The Associated Press during an interview at Johnson Space Center in Houston.
The medical episode persisted for approximately 20 minutes before Fincke recovered completely. He described feeling normal afterward and continues to feel well today. The astronaut emphasized he had never experienced anything similar before this incident or since his return to Earth.
Medical professionals have eliminated the possibility of a heart attack, and Fincke confirmed he wasn’t choking during the episode. However, all other potential causes remain under investigation, including whether the incident might be connected to his cumulative 549 days in weightless conditions. The emergency struck during his fifth and a half months aboard the space station, hitting him like “a very, very fast lightning bolt.”
“My crewmates definitely saw that I was in distress,” Fincke explained, noting that all six crew members quickly surrounded him. “It was all hands on deck within just a matter of seconds.”
Fincke stated he cannot share additional details about his medical situation, explaining that NASA wants to ensure other astronauts don’t worry about their medical privacy being compromised should they face similar health issues in space.
The space station’s onboard ultrasound equipment proved valuable during the emergency, and Fincke has undergone extensive medical testing since returning to Earth. NASA is currently reviewing medical records from other astronauts to identify any comparable incidents that may have occurred during space missions.
Fincke publicly identified himself as the affected crew member late last month, putting an end to widespread speculation about the incident.
The astronaut expressed regret that his illness forced the cancellation of a planned spacewalk—which would have been his tenth but the first for colleague Zena Cardman—and necessitated an early return for her and two other crew members. SpaceX transported them back to Earth on January 15th, more than a month ahead of schedule, with the crew going directly to a hospital upon landing.
“I’ve been very lucky to be super healthy. So this was very surprising for everyone,” Fincke said.
After repeatedly apologizing to colleagues, Fincke stopped doing so when NASA’s new administrator Jared Isaacman instructed him to cease the apologies.
“This wasn’t you. This was space, right?” his colleagues reassured him. “You didn’t let anybody down.”
Despite this setback, the optimistic astronaut maintains hope for future space missions.
