Space 23 November 2025 - 10 January 2026

NASA and SpaceX plan to undock Crew-11 from the International Space Station no earlier than 5 p.m. EST on Jan. 14, with splashdown off California at about 3:40 a.m. Jan. 15. The crew is returning early due to a medical issue affecting one astronaut, whom NASA says is stable. A scheduled spacewalk has been canceled. NASA has not identified the astronaut or disclosed details of the condition.

NASA will return SpaceX’s Crew-11 from the International Space Station ahead of schedule after a crew member developed a serious medical condition, officials said Thursday. The astronaut is stable, but NASA said the ISS lacks the capability to diagnose and treat the issue. The agency is reviewing return dates and coordinating with SpaceX and partners to advance the Crew-12 launch. NASA has not disclosed the astronaut’s identity or medical details.

NASA has confirmed interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS is a natural object with no alien technosignatures, despite its unusual features. The UN and International Asteroid Warning Network have made it the focus of a planetary-defense drill, emphasizing it poses no threat to Earth. The comet is now visible by telescope at magnitude 11.3, passing through Virgo and heading for its closest approach on December 19, 2025.

NASA’s MAVEN orbiter has mapped hydrogen around interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, revealing a precise deuterium-to-hydrogen ratio. Twelve NASA spacecraft have imaged the comet, which passed Mars in October and is now about 190 million miles from Earth. Astronomers deny reports of the comet breaking up. Debate continues after Avi Loeb claimed a new trajectory anomaly as it heads toward Jupiter.