NASA astronaut Mike Fincke don finally yarn about di medical emergency wey happen for International Space Station earlier dis year, wey cause di first-ever medical evacuation for di station history. Di 59-year-old retired Air Force colonel tok say doctors still no sabi wetin cause am as e suddenly fall sick on January 7.
Fincke explain say e dey chop dinner dat day after e don finish prepare for spacewalk wey suppose hold di next day when di thing happen. E say e no fit talk and e no remember say e feel any pain, but im crewmates wey see am for distress quickly jump into action and call ground doctors for help.
“Na completely out of di blue. Na just amazingly quick,” Fincke tok during interview with The Associated Press from Johnson Space Center for Houston. E describe di episode as “a very, very fast lightning bolt” wey last about 20 minutes. E say e feel fine after di episode and still dey fine till now.
Doctors don rule out heart attack and Fincke tok say e no dey choke, but every other possibility still dey on table. E say di medical issue fit relate to im 549 days of weightlessness for space. Fincke don spend 5 and half months for im latest space station stay when di problem strike.
“My crewmates definitely see say I dey for distress,” e tok, with all six crew members gather around am. “Na all hands on deck within just matter of seconds.”
Di astronaut say e no fit give more details about im medical episode because NASA want make sure say other astronauts no go feel say dem go compromise dia medical privacy if anything happen to dem. E tok say di space station ultrasound machine come handy when di event occur, and e don go through numerous tests since e return to Earth.
NASA dey currently check other astronauts medical records to see if any similar instances don happen for space before. Fincke identify imself as di sick person late last month to stop di public speculation wey dey swirl around di incident.
Fincke still feel bad say im illness cause di spacewalk to cancel – wey for be im 10th spacewalk but first for crewmate Zena Cardman – and make Cardman and dia two other crewmates return early. SpaceX bring dem back on January 15, more than one month early, and dem go straight to hospital.
“I don dey very lucky to dey super healthy. So dis one surprise everybody,” Fincke tok. E say e don stop apologize to everybody after NASA new administrator Jared Isaacman order am to stop. Im colleagues assure am say “This no be you. Na space, right? You no let anybody down.”
Ever di optimist, Fincke still dey hope say e fit return to space one day. Di medical evacuation na first for International Space Station history and highlight di unique health challenges astronauts face for long-duration space missions.
Di incident show how space agencies dey prepare for medical emergencies for space, where immediate evacuation no dey possible like for Earth. Di space station get medical equipment and procedures wey crew members dey train to handle various health situations.
Fincke, wey be experienced astronaut with multiple spaceflights, say e never experience anything like dat before or since di January incident. E dey cooperate with medical investigations wey dey ongoing to understand wetin happen and how to prevent similar occurrences for future missions.
Di space station medical team dey continue dia investigation, with focus on how microgravity affect human body over long periods. NASA dey use dis incident as learning opportunity to improve medical protocols for future space exploration, including planned missions to di Moon and Mars.
Do you have a news tip for NNN? Please email us at editor @ nnn.ng
