An astronaut in need of medical care is on the way back to Earth.

An astronaut in need of doctors care departed the International Space Station with three crewmates on Wednesday in NASAs first medical evacuation.

An astronaut in need of doctors' care departed the International Space Station with three crewmates on Wednesday in NASA's first medical evacuation. The four returning astronauts — from the U.S., Russia and Japan — are aiming for an early Thursday morning splashdown in the Pacific near San Diego with SpaceX.…

The mission to bring Crew-11 back to Earth due to a medical issue suffered by one of the astronauts has successfully launched from the International Space Station.

Jan. 14 (UPI) -- A medical issue with one astronaut prompted NASA to evacuate four Crew-11 members from the International Space Station for the first time in the space station's history.

: Sick astronaut back on Earth by Thursday, nature of ailment remains undisclosed

Four astronauts are leaving the outpost about a month earlier than scheduled because a crew member, who was not identified, has an undisclosed medical issue.

A SpaceX capsule departed the International Space Station on Wednesday carrying a four-member crew on an emergency return flight to Earth necessitated by an unspecified serious medical condition afflicting one of the astronauts aboard.

A SpaceX capsule departed the International Space Station on Wednesday carrying a four-member crew on an emergency return flight to Earth necessitated by an unspecified serious medical condition afflicting one of the astronauts aboard.

The crew undocked from the orbiting outpost at 5:20 p.m. ET on Wednesday — about a month earlier than planned.