New Delhi, Jan. 15 -- An astronaut who fell ill returned to Earth alongside three crewmates on Thursday, cutting their space station mission short by more than a month in National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) first-ever medical evacuation.

SpaceX safely brought the capsule down in a nighttime splashdown in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego, less than 11 hours after the crew departed the International Space Station (ISS). The astronauts were then taken to a hospital for an overnight evaluation, according to AP.

After the splashdown, NASA's new administrator Jared Isaacman stated, "Obviously, we took this action (early return) because it was a serious medical condition. The astronaut in question is fine right now, in good ...