New Delhi, Jan. 8 -- NASA is assessing whether it may need to bring astronauts home early from the International Space Station after a medical issue involving one crew member prompted the sudden cancellation of the first planned spacewalk of 2026, raising questions about upcoming missions and station operations.

The US space agency confirmed on Wednesday that it was monitoring a "medical concern" affecting a single astronaut aboard the orbital laboratory. While NASA stressed that the situation is stable, it said privacy rules prevented the release of further details or the identity of the crew member.

The medical issue led NASA to postpone a spacewalk that had been scheduled for Thursday, January 8. Two astronauts were due to conduct th...