NASA Still Trying to Figure Out Why Astronaut Was Hospitalized After Return to Earth
A NASA astronaut who returned to Earth on March 30 after a six-month mission on the International Space Station was hospitalized for undisclosed medical reasons.
NASA has not released any details about the astronaut's condition, but a spokesperson said the astronaut is "in stable condition and is undergoing tests."
The astronaut is the second person to be hospitalized after returning from a long-duration space mission in recent years. In 2018, a Russian cosmonaut was hospitalized for a month after returning from a year-long mission on the ISS.
NASA is still investigating the cause of the astronaut's hospitalization. The agency said it is "too early to say" whether the astronaut's condition is related to space travel.
However, some experts believe that the astronaut's hospitalization could be a sign of a new health risk associated with long-duration space travel.
Dr. Jonathan Clark, a space medicine expert at the University of Texas Medical Branch, said that astronauts who spend long periods of time in space can experience a number of health problems, including bone loss, muscle atrophy, and immune system dysfunction.
"We don't know for sure what caused the astronaut's hospitalization," Clark said. "But it's possible that it could be related to one of these health problems."
NASA is continuing to investigate the cause of the astronaut's hospitalization. The agency said it will release more information as it becomes available.