Astronaut Mike Fincke leaving NASA months after medical emergency in space
Astronaut Mike Fincke is leaving NASA after 30 years, the agency announced on Wednesday.
The news comes months after the Pittsburgh-area native experienced a medical emergency in space in January, cutting short the mission for him and three other astronauts.
An Emsworth native and retired U.S. Air Force colonel, Fincke ranks fourth among its astronauts in accumulated time in space, and his spacewalks total 48 hours and 37 minutes, NASA said. The agency didn't give a reason for his departure.
Fincke didn't say what he'd do next, but in a statement from NASA, he said he remains "deeply committed to the work of exploration." He said he's excited to "help prepare the next generation of engineers, explorers, and leaders."
"Together, we will return humanity to the Moon, travel to Mars, journey outward to the planets and moons beyond Earth, and someday reach for the stars – all while caring for Earth, the most beautiful planet in our solar system," Fincke's statement read.
NASA never identified the astronaut who prompted the medical evacuation, but in an interview with the Associated Press, Fincke said he was eating dinner on Jan. 7 and preparing for a spacewalk the next day when he lost his ability to talk. He said he didn't remember any pain, but his crewmates saw he was in distress and requested help from flight surgeons on the ground.
The episode lasted about 20 minutes, and he felt fine afterward, Fincke told AP. But during the interview published in March, he said what had happened was still a mystery.
Throughout his career, Fincke flew four missions, spent 549 days in space and completed nine spacewalks in support of the International Space Station, NASA said.
"Few people have had the opportunity to shape as many chapters of NASA's history as Mike Fincke," NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said in a press release. "Over a remarkable career, Mike served our nation as a pilot, engineer, astronaut, and mentor. From long-duration missions aboard the International Space Station to helping prepare the Artemis generation, his contributions have helped position NASA for what comes next."
