ISS astronauts splash down after first medical evacuation

Health issue led to their mission being cut short by more than a month

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Four International Space Station crew members splashed down in the Pacific Ocean yesterday, Nasa footage showed, after the first ever medical evacuation in the orbital lab’s history.

A video feed from Nasa showed the capsule carrying American astronauts Mike Fincke and Zena Cardman, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov and Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui land off the coast of San Diego at 12:41am.

A health issue prompted the mission to be cut short, after five months in space. The US space agency has declined to disclose details about the health issue, but stressed the return was not an emergency situation.

‘A bit bittersweet’