World News for Students of English

19-01-2026 07:00

A SpaceX capsule left the International Space Station earlier than planned because one astronaut needed urgent medical care. The crew included two Americans, one Japanese astronaut, and one Russian cosmonaut.

NASA didn’t share details about the medical condition to protect privacy.

The capsule began its trip back to Earth after more than five months in space. The spacecraft started its return in the evening and headed toward the Pacific Ocean near California. The trip was expected to last about ten hours and included a very hot entry through Earth’s atmosphere. Live video showed the capsule slowly moving away from the space station while the crew sat inside wearing space suits.

NASA said this was the first time it ended a space station mission early because of a health problem. Officials explained that doctors on Earth can give better care and checks. The mission commander said everyone was stable, but the return was the best choice. Another crew will arrive at the station later.

Difficult words: urgent (needing quick action), privacy (keeping personal information secret), mission commander (the main leader of a space mission).

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