Friday morning brought an unexpected twist for the four-member SpaceX Crew-8 team after splashing down in the Gulf of Mexico. Instead of heading straight back to Houston, the astronauts were taken to a medical facility in Florida. One of them, whose identity was kept private, stayed at Ascension Sacred Heart Pensacola due to a "medical issue. " NASA assured everyone that the astronaut was in stable condition and under observation as a precaution.

The astronauts—NASA's Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, along with Russian cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin—spent nearly eight months on the International Space Station. Their mission, overseen by SpaceX, was routine but longer than usual at 235 days. The delay in their return was caused by issues with the Boeing Starliner spacecraft and weather problems.

NASA didn't reveal any medical issues during an early morning briefing after the splashdown. However, they later stated that all four astronauts were evaluated out of an abundance of caution. The rest of the crew was soon on their way to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. The astronaut who stayed behind was released and joined them on Saturday.

Extensive medical checkouts are standard after long space missions. This extra evaluation step ensures astronauts are in top shape after facing the unique challenges of space travel.

Splashdown Surprise: One Astronaut Stays Behind for Medical Check

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