ScienceMarch 29, 2026

Space Station Medical Mystery: An Astronaut’s Lost Speech

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② Start Lesson

Key Vocabulary

astronaut/ˈæs.trə.nɔːt/

A person trained to travel and work in space.

"The astronaut returned to Earth."

evacuation/ˌiː.væk.juˈeɪ.ʃən/

The act of moving people away from danger or to a safe place.

"The early return was an evacuation."

imaging/ˈɪm.ɪ.dʒɪŋ/

Making pictures of the inside of the body for medical tests.

"He needed advanced imaging on Earth."

Listening

Space Station Medical Mystery: An Astronaut’s Lost Speech

NASA astronaut Mike Fincke had a medical event on January 7, 2026 while he was aboard the International Space Station. He suddenly could not speak, and his crewmates gave immediate care. The episode lasted about twenty minutes and Fincke felt fine afterward.

NASA decided to return the Crew-11 team early so Fincke could have advanced medical imaging on Earth. This move led to the first medical evacuation from the space station. The crew splashed down on January 15, 2026 and returned to Houston for follow-up care. Doctors later said they did not yet know the cause. He is now in medical checkups in Houston.

104 words

Quiz

1. Who had the medical event?

2. When did the medical event happen?

3. When did the crew splash down?

Reading Practice

Read the article from the Listening section aloud. Your AI teacher will give you pronunciation feedback.

Discussion

Do you worry about getting sick while traveling far from home? Why or why not?

Have you ever had a health problem while away from family? What happened?

What do you think about medical care on airplanes or on ships? Is it enough?