Nasa orders first space station evacuation over astronaut health

Nasa has ordered its first medical evacuation from the International Space Station in its 25-year history, after an astronaut in the orbital laboratory fell ill with a "serious" but undisclosed issue.

- Oliver Holmes

The US space agency said in a press conference the crew of four - led by the US commander Zena Cardman - will return to Earth in the coming days, earlier than planned.

Officials did not identify the astronaut or the issue, citing patient privacy. "This was a serious medical condition," said the Nasa administrator Jared Isaacman. "That is why we're pursuing this path."

The decision to evacuate was announced after a series of Nasa statements about a medical situation that arose on Wednesday. The development later forced the first spacewalk of the year to be cancelled.

Isaacman said Nasa was expecting to provide updates shortly on the upcoming ISS undocking and the timeline for atmospheric reentry.

The crew of four arrived on a SpaceX capsule in August for a stay of at least six months. They include Nasa's Cardman and Mike Fincke, along with Japan's Kimiya Yui and Russia's Oleg Platonov.