NASA Faces Unexpected Delays: Health Concerns Stall Spacewalk Plans

NASA announced the postponement of the first spacewalk of 2026 from the International Space Station (ISS) due to unspecified health issues of a crew member. “The agency is monitoring a medical problem that arose with a crew member on Wednesday afternoon aboard the orbital complex,” the agency said in a brief statement. “Due to privacy of medical information, NASA does not find it appropriate to share more details about the crew member. The situation is stable.”

Astronauts Mike Finke and Zena Cardman were supposed to spend about 6.5 hours outside the station for extravehicular activity (EVA), designated as U.S. spacewalk 94. Finke was set to become only the sixth American astronaut to conduct a total of 10 spacewalks. Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Kimiya Yui and NASA astronaut Chris Williams were to assist Finke and Cardman in donning their spacesuits.

During a briefing on January 6th, NASA officials discussed the upcoming work planned within this and another EVA, U.S. spacewalk 95. During the first outing, Finke and Cardman were to prepare the station’s 2A power channel for the future installation of the final pair of deployable solar arrays known as iROSA. The launch of iROSA to the station is scheduled for 2026.

The second spacewalk, U.S. spacewalk 95, is planned for January 15th. Two NASA astronauts (whose names have not been disclosed) are set to replace a high-definition camera near port 3, install a new navigation element called a flat reflector on Harmony module’s forward port, and finally, move an ammonia service jumper along with other jumpers-flexible hoses connecting parts of the liquid system on the S4 and S6 trusses of the ISS. NASA promises to provide additional details, including a new date for the spacewalk, later.