NASA Astronaut Michael Fincke Retires After 30 Years and 549 Days in Space

Q: What mysterious space illness silenced a veteran astronaut and forced NASA's first-ever emergency ISS evacuation?

It has not been definitively identified. NASA and Mike Fincke say the episode that temporarily silenced him in orbit remains unexplained, with the exact cause still under medical review. What is known is that Fincke suddenly lost the ability to speak for about 20 minutes during dinner aboard the International Space Station in January. NASA judged the event serious enough to cancel a planned spacewalk and cut short Crew-11’s mission, bringing Fincke and crewmates Zena Cardman, Kimiya Yui and Oleg Platonov back to Earth early. It was the first time NASA ended an ISS staffing mission early for a crew member’s health. Experts cited in follow-up reporting said the symptoms could be consistent with a transient ischemic attack, or TIA — a brief interruption of blood flow to the brain that can cause temporary speech loss and other neurological symptoms. But that remains only a leading hypothesis, not a confirmed diagnosis. The concern was heightened because long-duration spaceflight can alter blood flow and fluid distribution in the body, especially toward the head, raising questions about microgravity-related cardiovascular or neurological effects. NASA returned Fincke so doctors could use advanced medical imaging unavailable on the station. So the “mysterious space illness” was an unexplained, space-related medical episode marked by temporary loss of speech, possibly TIA-like, but still officially undiagnosed.

3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Aug 12

NASA said Wednesday that Michael Fincke, 59, has retired after a 30-year career that included 549 days in space—the fourth-highest total in agency history.
Four ISS missions took Fincke from flight engineer and mission specialist to commander and, most recently, pilot on Crew-11, which launched in August 2025 and returned in January.
That final mission also made him the first person evacuated from the International Space Station because of a medical emergency, after an in-orbit health episode forced an early return.
Fincke said he plans to carry his experience into helping prepare the next generation of engineers, explorers and leaders, closing a career that spanned the ISS's earliest years through command in orbit.