Four astronauts returned safely to Earth early on Thursday after an undisclosed serious medical condition affecting one of them forced an end to their International Space Station mission a few weeks early.

After a health issue, four astronauts are set to leave the International Space Station early, with a pre-dawn Pacific splashdown planned for Thursday, Jan. 15.

Crew-11 mission from the International Space Station. Crew Dragon Endeavour and its crew of four — comprised of two NASA astronauts, one Japanese astronaut, and one Russian cosmonaut — are scheduled to splashdown in the Pacific Ocean a few hours later at 12:40 AM PST (08:40 UTC) on Thursday,

Skywatchers across the Bay Area will have a rare early-morning opportunity Thursday as a NASA SpaceX Dragon spacecraft makes its final pass over California before returning to Earth.

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 undisclosed serious medical condition afflicting one of the astronauts aboard.