Watch live: ISS astronauts return to Earth early in medical evacuation

Watch live as an astronaut in need of medical care lands back on Earth after departing the International Space Station (ISS) with three crewmates in a Nasa medical evacuation on Thursday, 15 January.

American astronauts Mike Fincke and Zena Cardman, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov and Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui splashed down on Thursday morning in off the coast of California.

Officials have not identified the astronaut or provided more details about their health issue, citing privacy.

It marks the first time in 25 years that an astronaut has left the ISS for a medical reason.

They are “stable, safe and well cared for”, outgoing space station commander Mike Fincke said earlier this week.

“This was a deliberate decision to allow the right medical evaluations to happen on the ground, where the full range of diagnostic capability exists.”

Officials have stressed that it is not an emergency situation, and the health problem was unrelated to spacewalk preparations or other station operations.