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A NASA astronaut from the SpaceX Crew-8 mission has been hospitalized following the crew's splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico early Friday morning. The astronaut, whose identity has not been disclosed due to medical privacy, is in stable condition and under observation at Ascension Sacred Heart Pensacola, a hospital near the splashdown site. After undergoing health evaluations at the same hospital, the other three crew members returned to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.
The Crew-8 mission, which included NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, Jeanette Epps, and Alexander Grebenkin of the Russian space agency Roscosmos, had a safe splashdown and recovery, according to NASA. However, all four astronauts were taken to a local medical facility for additional evaluation "out of an abundance of caution."
The crew had spent nearly eight months aboard the International Space Station, marking the longest duration in space for a U.S. crewed vehicle at 235 days. Their return home faced repeated delays due to various reasons, including schedule changes related to issues with the Boeing Starliner spacecraft and weather delays.
NASA has not provided any further details about the hospitalized crew member's condition.
"The one astronaut who remains at Ascension is in stable condition under observation as a precautionary measure," NASA news chief Cheryl Warner said in a statement.