NASA astronaut is released from the hospital after returning from space

A NASA astronaut who was briefly hospitalized 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 Friday after parachuting into the Gulf of Mexico off the Florida coast aboard 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. The space agency declined to identify the astronaut or release details about their condition, citing patient privacy.

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.

___

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.