Astronauts say space station’s ultrasound machine was critical during medical crisis
January 21, 2026
The astronauts evacuated last week from the International Space Station say a portable ultrasound machine came in “super handy” during the medical crisis. During their first public appearance since returning to Earth, the four astronauts refused Wednesday to say which one of them had been ailing or why. But NASA’s Mike Fincke told reporters that the crew used the onboard ultrasound machine when the medical problem arose January 7, the day before a planned spacewalk.  The portable ultrasound was so useful that he says there should be one on all future spaceflights.