A NASA astronaut from the Crew-8 mission, who was briefly hospitalized in Florida after returning from the International Space Station (ISS), has now been released, NASA announced. The astronaut, one of the four crew members aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule that safely splashed down on Earth on October 25, experienced a minor medical issue following the landing.

The crew, which included NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, Jeanette Epps, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin, completed a remarkable 233-day stay on the ISS. They returned in the Crew Dragon spacecraft, Endeavour, which landed in the Gulf of Mexico.

Following an overnight stay at Ascension Sacred Heart Pensacola Hospital in Florida, the astronaut was discharged and has since returned to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. "The crew member is in good health and will continue routine post-flight reconditioning with the rest of the team," NASA shared in a post on X. For privacy reasons, the agency did not disclose the astronaut’s identity or specific medical details.

The Crew-8 mission, originally scheduled for a shorter duration, was extended to support ISS operations due to delays with Boeing's Starliner spacecraft, which required additional crew support for potential evacuation needs. During their mission, the astronauts conducted over 200 scientific experiments, spanning areas such as human health, materials science, and agriculture. These investigations aim to support future long-term space exploration and contribute to knowledge that benefits life on Earth.

Crew-8’s journey began on March 4, 2024, when the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched them from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This marked the eighth commercial crew rotation to the ISS, underscoring the international cooperation and significant scientific accomplishments of their extended mission.