Astronaut’s Condition That Led to Space Station Evacuation Remains a Mystery NYT | Top Stories By: Rylee Kirk 29 March 2026 at 06:39 The astronaut, Michael Fincke, experienced a medical emergency in January that rendered him unable to speak, he said. © NASA/Bill Ingalls , via, via ReutersMike Fincke, a NASA astronaut, said doctors aren’t sure what caused his medical episode, which prompted an evacuation from the International Space Station.