NASA astronaut Mike Fincke retires after 30 years, 549 days in space

NASA astronaut Mike Fincke has retired after 30 years of service, closing a career that made him one of the agency's most experienced space explorers. Fincke flew four missions, accumulated 549 days in space, and completed nine spacewalks totalling 48 hours and 37 minutes — placing him fourth among NASA astronauts in total time spent in orbit.

Fincke joined NASA's 16th astronaut class in 1996 and first flew to space in 2004. Over his career, he served as commander, mission specialist and flight engineer on various missions supporting the International Space Station from its earliest days through command in orbit.

His most recent assignment was piloting NASA's SpaceX Crew-11 mission, which launched in August 2025. The mission returned a month early in January after crew members were forced to evacuate the ISS due to a medical issue affecting Fincke. He later identified himself as the astronaut involved in the evacuation, clarifying that it was not an emergency but rather required advanced medical imaging unavailable on the station.

Fincke subsequently revealed that he had temporarily lost his ability to speak for about 20 minutes during the incident. Doctors ruled out a heart attack or stroke, though the underlying cause remained unclear. Fincke told NBC that medical professionals believed the episode was space-related.

In a statement, Fincke said: "NASA gave me the extraordinary privilege of serving alongside remarkable people, flying and helping develop spacecraft, and contributing to the International Space Station from its earliest days through command in orbit." NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman praised Fincke's contributions, noting that his work helping prepare the next generation of astronauts and his role in shaping multiple chapters of NASA's history positioned the agency for future missions.