Veteran NASA astronaut Mike Fincke has retired from the agency after a three-decade career, concluding a tenure marked by four spaceflights, 549 cumulative days in orbit, and nine spacewalks according to NASA. Fincke, a retired U.S. Air Force colonel and distinguished graduate of the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School, announced his departure as of Wednesday, August 12, according to reporting by Gainesville. He ranks fourth among NASA astronauts in accumulated time in space.
NASA Astronaut Mike Fincke Retires After 30 Years of Service
After exactly 30 years, I am departing NASA, but I remain deeply committed to the work of exploration,
Fincke said in a statement shared by the agency, as detailed by Spaceflight Now. 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.
Historic Spaceflight Missions and Four Spacecraft
Selected in 1996 as part of the 16th astronaut class nicknamed “The Sardines,” Fincke is one of only 13 people who launched to orbit from Earth onboard three different spacecraft, and he is one of the few Americans certified to fly the Russian Soyuz, the Space Shuttle, the Boeing Starliner, and the SpaceX Crew Dragon according to Astronomy.
His flight assignments span multiple eras of human spaceflight:
- 2004: Aboard Soyuz TMA-4 for International Space Station Expedition 9 as a science officer and flight engineer, completing four spacewalks.
- 2008: Aboard Soyuz TMA-13 as commander of Expedition 18, preparing the station for six-person crews with two additional spacewalks.
- 2011: Aboard STS-134 as a mission specialist and robotic arm operator on the final flight of space shuttle Endeavour, installing the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer during three spacewalks.
- 2025–2026: Piloting NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission, serving as a flight engineer for Expedition 73 and commander of Expedition 74.
Unprecedented Medical Evacuation From the Space Station
Fincke’s final mission ended early due to a medical incident aboard the International Space Station. On January 7, while in orbit, Fincke experienced a health event that required immediate attention from his crewmates according to Astronomy. Working with SpaceX, NASA coordinated a plan to bring the crew home early for advanced diagnostics unavailable in the station’s onboard medical suite.
The SpaceX Dragon Endeavour undocked from the ISS on January 14 with Fincke, NASA astronaut Zena Cardman, JAXA astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov. The capsule splashed down safely off the coast of California on January 15, marking the first time in history that NASA cut short an ISS mission for a medical issue during 25 years of continual occupancy.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman noted that the return was not an emergency, but a cautious decision to utilize advanced imaging equipment. After routine examinations at Scripps Memorial Hospital, Fincke completed standard post-flight reconditioning at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.
Legacy of Mentorship and Ground Support
Beyond his time in orbit, Fincke supported station operations from the ground as a capsule communicator (capcom), a crew procedures team lead, and a crew test support team member in Russia. His contributions helped prepare future spacecraft, including rehearsals for Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner.
Few people have had the opportunity to shape as many chapters of NASA’s history as Mike Fincke,
said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman according to NASA. Over a remarkable career, Mike served our nation as a pilot, engineer, astronaut, and mentor.
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