We can probably all imagine how a trip to space might leave you speechless, but this literally happened to American astronaut Mike Fincke while on board the International Space Station (ISS) in January 2026.
This incident prompted NASA’s first medical evacuation on Jan. 7, 2026, with the crew of four splashing down on Jan. 15, 2026, in the Pacific Ocean off Southern California. To protect the privacy of the affected astronaut, NASA initially did not disclose their identity.
However, on Feb. 25, 2026, 58-year-old spaceflight veteran Fincke identified himself as the affected crew member. Last week, he opened up about what happened during his final dinner in space. “Out of the blue,” he suddenly couldn’t talk anymore. “It was just amazingly quick,” said Fincke in a statement from the Associated Press (AP).
Luckily, Fincke felt well after the 20-minute episode, and he quickly underwent a variety of tests back on Earth. However, doctors still cannot explain the cause of his medical incident.
Medical Emergency on the ISS
After spending 5 and a half months on the mission, Fincke was having dinner following preparations for the next day’s spacewalk when he suddenly lost the ability to speak. While he did not experience any pain, his six crewmates immediately noticed that something was wrong.
“My crewmates definitely saw that I was in distress,” he said, with the crew reaching out to medical professionals on Earth at once, in the statement. “It was all hands on deck within just a matter of seconds.”
After landing back on Earth, Fincke was rushed to the hospital and underwent several medical tests. Although doctors could rule out a heart attack, the cause of his speech loss remains a mystery, though it may be connected to prolonged exposure to weightlessness during his multiple space missions.
NASA is currently analyzing other astronauts’ medical records to search for clues related to the incident. Protecting crew members’ medical privacy remains a priority for the agency, and the retired Air Force colonel has declined to disclose further details. He has only shared that he is now well and has never experienced anything similar before or since.
Read more: CPR in Space – How Can We Save a Life Without Gravity?
NASA’s First Medical Evacuation from the ISS
The crew of four — Americans Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Japan’s Kimiya Yui, and Russia’s Oleg Platonov — began their ISS mission in August 2025.
Fincke’s medical episode, however, ended their six-month mission more than a month early and marked NASA’s first medical evacuation from the ISS. AP reports that despite Fincke’s quick recovery following the incident in space, NASA decided to evacuate the entire crew, leaving only three astronauts on board.
Following the incident, the SpaceX Crew-12 mission, launched on Feb. 13, 2026, and replaced the evacuated crew members with NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, French astronaut Sophie Adenot (from the European Space Agency), and Russian cosmonaut Andrei Fedyaev.
Fincke Hopes to Return to Space in the Future
Even before it was clear which astronaut required medical attention, AP reported in January that Fincke had emphasized the usefulness of the onboard ultrasound machine, suggesting that such equipment should be included on every future spaceflight.
Fincke has also expressed remorse that his episode abruptly ended the mission for the entire crew, especially the spacewalk scheduled for the following day, which would have been Zena Cardman’s first. “I’ve been very lucky to be super healthy. So this was very surprising for everyone,” he said, the release.
According to the AP, NASA administrator Jared Isaacman told him to stop apologizing, and his colleagues reassured him that he had not let anyone down. Fincke also shared that he hopes to return to space one day.
Read more: Stranded Astronauts Suni and Butch Expected to Leave ISS, Return to Earth
Article Sources
Our writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:
- This article references information from the Associated Press: He suddenly couldn’t speak in space. NASA astronaut says his medical scare remains a mystery
- This article references information from the Associated Press: Astronauts launch to the space station after sidelined by Boeing’s troubled Starliner
- This article references information from the Associated Press: Ailing astronaut returns to Earth early in NASA’s first medical evacuation
- This article references information from the Associated Press: Astronauts say space station’s ultrasound machine was critical during medical crisis
