Pakistan, Jan. 15 -- NASA's Crew-11 astronauts safely splashed down in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego, marking the first medical evacuation from the International Space Station in the 's 25-year operational history. The early return ended what was planned as a longer mission, highlighting NASA's focus on crew safety and rapid response during unexpected medical situations in space.

The crew included Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov, Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui, and NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, who returned aboard SpaceX's Crew Dragon Endeavour spacecraft. The capsule completed an 11-hour journey and landed at approximately 3:41 a.m. Eastern Time, with parachutes fully deployed before splashdown.

Mission control teams ...