58-year-old astronaut Mike Fink suddenly lost the ability to speak while on the International Space Station. The incident occurred on January 7 during dinner, a day before a spacewalk. The episode lasted about 20 minutes, reports Associated Press.
Mike Fink on the right. Photo: Joel Kowsky/NASA via Getty Images
The astronaut himself noted that he felt no pain and had no problems with breathing. However, colleagues immediately contacted doctors on Earth for help.
After the incident, Fink quickly recovered, and similar incidents have not recurred. Medics ruled out a heart attack, but have not yet determined the exact cause. It is possibly related to a long stay in space — in total, the astronaut has spent almost 549 days there during his life, completing 4 flights.
It was because of this incident that the crew returned to Earth earlier than planned. Fink himself regrets that the spacewalk was canceled due to his condition, and hopes that he will still be able to return to the station.
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