Nasa astronaut released from hospital after space return

A Nasa astronaut who was briefly hospitalised after returning from space has been released, the space agency said Saturday.

Nasa’s Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt and Jeanette Epps, and Russia’s Alexander Grebenkin, were flown to the hospital for additional medical checks on Friday after parachuting into the Gulf of Mexico off the Florida coast on board a SpaceX capsule.

Three were released and returned to Houston. A Nasa astronaut – who was not identified – was kept for observation for an unspecified medical issue. Citing patient privacy, the space agency declined to identify the astronaut or release details about their condition – other than to say the astronaut is in “good health” and would “resume normal post-flight reconditioning with other crew members”.

The crew arrived at the International Space Station in March and should have been back on Earth two months ago. But the return trip was delayed by Boeing’s new Starliner astronaut capsule and Hurricane Milton.