After a health issue, four astronauts are set to leave the International Space Station early, with a pre-dawn Pacific splashdown planned for Thursday, Jan. 15.

NASA's SpaceX Crew-11 has safely returned to Earth in an unprecedented ISS medical evacuation, splashing down off the Californian coast on Thursday morning.

Instead of remaining at the International Space Station (ISS) for the full duration of their mission, the four crew members are coming home a month early due to a medical issue with one of the astronauts.

Four astronauts on the Crew-11 mission will depart the International Space Station as early as Wednesday on NASA's 1st medical evacuation.