Reliable space rescue is a prerequisite for continued economic opportunity in space and we have a long way to go

On January 15, 2026, a collective cheer coincided with relief as four astronauts from SpaceX Crew 11 were safely returned to Earth from the International Space Station (ISS). The evacuation came after a crew member experienced a medical emergency that left them in stable condition but in need of terrestrial medical care. The successful return mission came just ten months after the successful, albeit heavily delayed, return of American astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore after a nine-month stranding. With the crew safely on the ground and the stricken crewmember under care, the space community cheered the first emergency rescue of a crew from space.