Back from space, NASA crew discusses mission, but declines to address post-flight medical issue

Three NASA astronauts who just wrapped up a 235-day mission to the International Space Station discussed their flight with reporters Friday, but steadfastly refused to comment on a medical issue of some sort that resulted in one astronaut spending the night in a hospital after landing.

The unidentified astronaut flew back to the Johnson Space Center in Houston the day after splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico on Oct. 25, rejoining their crewmates. But NASA, citing medical privacy issues, provided no details other than to say the astronaut "is in good health and will resume normal post-flight reconditioning with other crew members."

"I know there may be some interest in our post-flight medical event, where we diverted to a hospital," Crew 8 pilot Mike Barratt, a physician-astronaut, told reporters Friday. "You know, space flight is still something we don't fully understand. We're finding things that we don't expect sometimes, and this was one of those times.