JAXA astronaut Kimiya Yui filmed a colorful aurora from the International Space Station and shared the footage days before Crew‑11’s early return. NASA said the crew is leaving ahead of schedule because one astronaut experienced a medical concern; that crew member is now stable. Crew‑11 — which includes NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov — is set to depart no earlier than Jan. 14. This is the first medically prompted early ISS departure in about 25 years.
Astronaut Films Vibrant Aurora From ISS Days Before Crew‑11’s Early Return
Firefly's Blue Ghost lunar lander captures its shadow on the moon's surface after completing a successful landing March 2 near a volcanic feature on the moon called Mons Latreille. The vehicle became the first of two landers manufactured by a U.S. company to reach the moon is 2025 in crucial missions to lay the groundwork for NASA to return humans to the lunar surface in the years ahead.
A striking aurora, rendered in bands of pink, teal and purple, was filmed from the International Space Station by JAXA astronaut Kimiya Yui, producing a memorable sight for the crew aboard.
The short video, shared publicly days before Crew‑11’s announced early departure, captures the lights sweeping across Earth’s atmosphere and was widely praised for its beauty.
"I was happy to have captured it, but above all, imagining everyone smiling with joy upon seeing the footage, I laughed to myself," Yui wrote on X (translated from Japanese).
Why Crew‑11 Is Returning Early
Crew‑11 will leave the ISS ahead of its originally planned schedule after one astronaut experienced a medical concern, NASA said. The agency has not disclosed the nature of the medical issue or the identity of the affected crew member, citing privacy, but confirmed the person is now stable and the crew is scheduled to depart no earlier than 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 14.
Who Is Onboard Crew‑11?
- Zena Cardman — NASA astronaut (Virginia)
- Mike Fincke — NASA astronaut (Pennsylvania)
- Kimiya Yui — JAXA astronaut (Japan)
- Oleg Platonov — Roscosmos cosmonaut (Russia)
Earlier, in August 2025, fellow Crew‑11 member Zena Cardman also recorded a rare aurora over the United States and shared her footage, underscoring how frequently those aboard the ISS witness spectacular atmospheric displays.
Context
This early departure marks the first time in roughly 25 years of continuous ISS operations that a crew will return early for medical reasons, according to previous reporting. Crew‑11 is the eleventh NASA/SpaceX science expedition to the station under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, which contracts private companies like SpaceX to ferry astronauts and cargo to low Earth orbit.
NASA is also working to certify Boeing’s Starliner capsule as a second operational transport to the ISS ahead of the station’s planned retirement around 2030.
Original reporting by USA TODAY. Video and social posts referenced were shared by the astronauts on X (formerly Twitter).
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Four SpaceX Crew-11 members pose for a portrait inside the International Space Station. Clockwise from bottom left are, NASA astronaut Mike Fincke, Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov, NASA astronaut Zena Cardman, and JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Kimiya Yui.
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