NASA Astronauts Say International Space Station Ultrasound Was Vital in Medical Crisis

NASA astronauts describe International Space Station medical emergency

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (AP) – The astronauts evacuated from the International Space Station last week have said a portable ultrasound machine proved “super handy” amid the medical emergency.

At their first public appearance after returning to Earth, the four astronauts declined on Wednesday to identify the crew member who required medical care or explain the reason. The incident marked NASA’s first medical evacuation in 65 years of human spaceflight.

NASA astronaut Mike Fincke said the crew turned to the station’s ultrasound equipment after the medical issue emerged on Jan. 7, one day before a scheduled spacewalk was suddenly called off.

The astronauts had already made frequent use of the device to monitor routine physical changes caused by living in weightlessness, “so when we had this emergency, the ultrasound machine came in super handy.”

Fincke said it had been valuable enough that every future spaceflight should carry one. “It really helped,” he said.

“Of course, we didn't have other big machines that we have here on planet Earth,” he added. “We do try to make sure that everybody before we fly are really, really not prone to surprises. But sometimes things happen and surprises happen, and the team was ready … preparation was super important.”

Crew training and medical preparations

NASA’s Zena Cardman, who led the crew’s early return journey with SpaceX, said the space station is equipped as thoroughly as possible to deal with medical emergencies.

She said NASA “made all the right decisions” by cancelling the spacewalk - which would have been her first - and putting the crew’s welfare first.

Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui said he had been struck by how effectively their preflight training prepared them to manage the health concerns.

“We can handle any kind of difficult situation,” Yui said. “This is actually very, very good experience for the future of human spaceflight.”

Mission ends more than a month early

Russia’s Oleg Platonov was also part of the mission, which ultimately lasted 5 1/2 months - more than a month less than planned. The crew launched from Florida last August and splashed down in the Pacific near the San Diego coast last week.

Their replacements were among those greeting them in Houston, despite not being scheduled to launch until mid-February. NASA and SpaceX are working to bring that launch forward.

“We were hoping to give them hugs in space, but we gave them hugs on Earth,” Fincke said.