HOUSTON, January 24, 2026 — A planned spacewalk from the International Space Station (ISS) has been postponed due to a medical issue affecting one of the crew members, NASA announced Wednesday. The agency is prioritizing the astronaut’s well-being and will share a revised schedule as soon as possible.
Preparing for a Power Boost
The spacewalk was crucial for preparing the ISS for upcoming solar array upgrades, vital for sustaining the station until its planned retirement in 2030.
The excursion, originally slated to begin Thursday morning, would have involved astronauts Mike Fincke and Zena Cardman spending six and a half hours outside the station. Their primary task was to prepare for the installation of new roll-out solar arrays, scheduled to arrive later this year. These new arrays represent the final major upgrade to the ISS’s electrical system before its decommissioning in 2030.
NASA revealed that the medical concern surfaced Wednesday afternoon. “Due to medical privacy, it is not appropriate for NASA to share more details about the crew member,” the agency stated. “The situation is stable. NASA will share additional details, including a new date for the upcoming spacewalk, later.”
What is the ISS decommissioning date? The International Space Station is currently scheduled to be decommissioned in 2030, after decades of scientific research and international collaboration.
This spacewalk was intended to be the first of two planned for this month. A second excursion, scheduled for next week, was to focus on a series of maintenance tasks outside the station. The timing of that second spacewalk is now also uncertain, pending updates on the crew member’s condition.
- A spacewalk scheduled for Thursday has been postponed due to a medical concern.
- Astronauts Mike Fincke and Zena Cardman were preparing for new solar array installation.
- The ISS is slated for decommissioning in 2030.
- NASA is prioritizing the crew member’s health and will provide updates when available.
