Why Did NASA Astronaut Mike Fincke Fall Ill in Space? Speech Loss Mystery Explained

Veteran NASA astronaut Mike Fincke has revealed new details about a sudden and unexplained medical episode he experienced aboard the International Space Station earlier this year, reported LiveMint, citing inputs from Associated Press (AP).

The incident occurred on January 7 while Fincke was preparing for a scheduled spacewalk. He suddenly fell ill and lost the ability to speak for nearly 20 minutes. Describing the episode as abrupt, Fincke said it happened “out of the blue” and escalated within seconds, prompting immediate concern among his crewmates. 

According to Fincke, he did not experience any pain and has little recollection of the episode itself. However, his fellow astronauts quickly recognised signs of distress and activated emergency protocols, leading to what he described as an “all hands on deck” response. 

Despite undergoing extensive medical evaluation, doctors have not been able to determine the exact cause of the condition. Fincke confirmed that possibilities such as a heart attack and choking have been ruled out, while other factors including prolonged exposure to microgravity are still being examined. 

The incident forced NASA to cancel a planned spacewalk and ultimately led to an early return of the Crew-11 mission. Fincke and his crewmates were brought back to Earth on January 15 aboard a SpaceX capsule, more than a month ahead of schedule, so that he could undergo advanced medical testing unavailable in orbit. 

Fincke, who has spent over 500 days in space across multiple missions, expressed regret over the disruption, particularly for fellow astronaut Zena Cardman, whose first spacewalk was cancelled. However, he acknowledged the importance of prioritising health and safety.

NASA continues to investigate the incident while reviewing past astronaut health data to identify whether similar unexplained cases have occurred during space missions.

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