This post was originally published on this site.
Four astronauts evacuated from the International Space Station (ISS) have landed back on Earth, after their stay in space was cut short by a month due to a “serious” medical issue.
The astronauts arrived on the ISS on 1 August expecting to complete a standard six and a half month stay.
But last week, a scheduled spacewalk was called off at the last minute. Hours later, Nasa revealed a crew member had become ill.
It is the first time astronauts have been evacuated due to a health issue since the station was put into Earth’s orbit in 1998.
BBC science correspondent Pallab Ghosh explains how Nasa deals with medical emergencies in space.
