NASA astronaut Mike Fincke leaves agency months after medical emergency in space - CNN

Longtime NASA astronaut Mike Fincke is departing the space agency, with his final day set for Wednesday, according to a NASA news release.
His exit follows a medical emergency aboard the International Space Station that prematurely ended a mission for Fincke and three crewmates.
Fincke, who joined the astronaut corps in 1996, said he remains "deeply committed to the work of exploration" and thanked his crewmates, ground teams, international partners, and families, expressing interest in helping prepare the next generation of engineers and explorers.
Over a three-decade career, he flew four missions and accumulated 549 days in orbit—the fourth highest among NASA astronauts—and completed nine spacewalks, spending most of his time aboard the ISS.
His final stay drew global attention when he was overcome by a mysterious ailment and lost the ability to speak for roughly 20 minutes, as he later described to news outlets including the AP.
Neither Fincke nor NASA disclosed details about his future plans, and he was pictured leaving the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at Kennedy Space Center in Florida ahead of an August 1, 2025 launch.