"What if scenario" - personal tragedy at home?

JD in TX wrote:
Hypothetical situation: An ISS astronaut is doing his/her 6 month stint
aboard the space station. If that astronaut has some type of personal
tragedy at home (medical emergency/sickness/death of a loved one, etc.)
is there anything in the rule book that would allow them to abort the
mission and come home (of course the rest of the astronauts would have
to leave also.) Or, do they pretty much know that once they are up
there, no personal (on earth) issues would allow for a mission abort?

That would be extremely unlikely. Especially given the increased risk
that the space station would face if it were unmanned.

However, a more interesting scenario would be if an astronaut were the
only known match for a bone transplant (say a relative had leukemia).

" wrote in
oups.com:

JD in TX wrote:
Hypothetical situation: An ISS astronaut is doing his/her 6 month stint
aboard the space station. If that astronaut has some type of personal
tragedy at home (medical emergency/sickness/death of a loved one, etc.)
is there anything in the rule book that would allow them to abort the
mission and come home (of course the rest of the astronauts would have
to leave also.) Or, do they pretty much know that once they are up
there, no personal (on earth) issues would allow for a mission abort?

That would be extremely unlikely. Especially given the increased risk
that the space station would face if it were unmanned.

However, a more interesting scenario would be if an astronaut were the
only known match for a bone transplant (say a relative had leukemia).



IMO, It's not altogether that unlikely.

It's NASA, there are no rules. The circumstances would be weighed, the
politics considered and the decision made regardless of flight rules. Every
case is unique.

Shamaal wrote:
" wrote in
oups.com:

JD in TX wrote:
Hypothetical situation: An ISS astronaut is doing his/her 6 month stint
aboard the space station. If that astronaut has some type of personal
tragedy at home (medical emergency/sickness/death of a loved one, etc.)
is there anything in the rule book that would allow them to abort the
mission and come home (of course the rest of the astronauts would have
to leave also.) Or, do they pretty much know that once they are up
there, no personal (on earth) issues would allow for a mission abort?
That would be extremely unlikely. Especially given the increased risk
that the space station would face if it were unmanned.

However, a more interesting scenario would be if an astronaut were the
only known match for a bone transplant (say a relative had leukemia).



IMO, It's not altogether that unlikely.

It's NASA, there are no rules. The circumstances would be weighed, the
politics considered and the decision made regardless of flight rules. Every
case is unique.


Umm. This is not quite correct. Prior to flight time, they generally
ask the astronaut whether they would want to be informed.

Charles Buckley wrote in
:

Shamaal wrote:
" wrote in
oups.com:

JD in TX wrote:
Hypothetical situation: An ISS astronaut is doing his/her 6 month
stint aboard the space station. If that astronaut has some type of
personal tragedy at home (medical emergency/sickness/death of a
loved one, etc.) is there anything in the rule book that would
allow them to abort the mission and come home (of course the rest
of the astronauts would have to leave also.) Or, do they pretty
much know that once they are up there, no personal (on earth)
issues would allow for a mission abort?
That would be extremely unlikely. Especially given the increased
risk that the space station would face if it were unmanned.

However, a more interesting scenario would be if an astronaut were
the only known match for a bone transplant (say a relative had
leukemia).



IMO, It's not altogether that unlikely.

It's NASA, there are no rules. The circumstances would be weighed,
the politics considered and the decision made regardless of flight
rules. Every case is unique.


Umm. This is not quite correct. Prior to flight time, they generally
ask the astronaut whether they would want to be informed.


This is no longer Apollo. In the event of a crisis of any type it it
easily learned of by email. Should the family insist the crewmember
return or if the crewmember wants to return, the situation will be judged
on its merits and weigh the pros and cons. Given the expense assocciated
with a return and the professionalism of the crew, it would be unlikely.
But no one wants a crewmember on orbit if they don't want to be there.
With increments of 6+ months, it's difficult to keep any secrets from the
crew.