4 astronauts departing the Worldwide House Station have been all smiles throughout a change of command ceremony on Monday, regardless of a medical problem prompting an early return to Earth set for later this week.
Outgoing house station commander Mike Fincke, a member of the returning Crew 11, turned the station over to cosmonaut Sergey Kud-Sverchkov, saying the mixed crew had developed deep friendships throughout their keep in house collectively for over 5 months.
“So one a part of us are on the brink of go away this stunning house station, and one other half is on the brink of take over full command and get (it) prepared for one more Dragon crew to come back,” Fincke mentioned.
“That is the Worldwide House Station. We have had steady human habitation for 25 years. It is a surprise of engineering, a surprise of science and a surprise of diplomacy. We’re from all around the planet, and we’re working collectively. It is an amazing image of what human beings can do.”
NASA 
Fincke thanked every crewmate for his or her efficiency in the course of the shortened mission, telling Crew 11 commander Zena Cardman, making her first flight, “you’re a rock star, famous person, superior star.”
“It has been a pleasure serving with you, watching you see Earth for the primary time, driving on the rocket, and now it is coming to an finish the place we get to go dwelling,” he mentioned. “It is bittersweet.”
All 4 Crew 11 fliers appeared wholesome and in good spirits on a space-to-ground tv broadcast of the change of command ceremony with no indication of which astronaut could have skilled the undisclosed medical problem that triggered Crew 11’s early departure.
Fincke then offered Kud-Sverchkov with a symbolic key to the house station.
“Regardless of all of the modifications and all of the difficulties, we will do our job on board ISS, performing scientific duties, upkeep duties, no matter occurs. It is a huge honor to be a commander of house station,” Kud-Sverchkov mentioned. “Thanks, Mike. And I need to (problem) the primary command: let’s make a bunch hug!”
And with that, all seven station crew members floated collectively to hug one another as advised by Fincke earlier than he handed over the important thing to the house station.
NASA 
Fincke, Cardman, Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui and cosmonaut Oleg Platonov have been instructed to chop their mission brief final week after an unidentified crew member reported a medical problem.
NASA mentioned the early return was not an emergency. However by bringing the crew down instantly, company officers mentioned, flight surgeons shall be higher in a position to diagnose the difficulty with amenities and experience not accessible aboard the station.
Cardman, Fincke, Yui and Platonov plan to undock from the station round 5 p.m. Jap Time Wednesday, a couple of month sooner than initially deliberate.
If all goes effectively, their SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule will splash down within the Pacific Ocean off the southern California coast at 3:40 a.m. Thursday.
Kud-Sverchkov and his two Soyuz MS-28 crewmates — Sergey Mikaev and NASA astronaut Chris Williams — may have the station to themselves till mid February when Crew 12 commander Jessica Meir, Jack Hathaway, European House Company astronaut Sophie Adenot and cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev arrive.
Crew 11 initially deliberate to depart round Feb. 20, a number of days after the arrival of Crew 12. However with Crew 11’s early departure, NASA and SpaceX are working to maneuver up the Crew 12 launch to shorten the hole.
