NASA Astronaut Mike Fincke retires, logging 549 days in space
Fincke’s 30-year NASA career included 48 hours and 37 minutes of spacewalks, and his Crew-11 mission ended early after a medical issue.
- On Wednesday, NASA announced that astronaut Mike Fincke will leave the agency after 30 years of service, ending a career as a retired U.S. Air Force colonel.
- Over his three-decade career, Fincke flew four missions, accumulating 549 days in orbit—the fourth highest among NASA colleagues—and completed nine spacewalks totaling 48 hours and 37 minutes.
- Fincke's final mission, SpaceX Crew-11, ended early in January 2026 due to an undisclosed medical issue; NASA returned the crew early to access advanced medical imaging unavailable on the space station.
- "After exactly 30 years, I am departing NASA, but I remain deeply committed to the work of exploration," Fincke said. Vanessa Wyche, director of NASA's Johnson Space Center, called his career "remarkable" and reflective of three decades of dedication.
- He remains committed to goals like returning to the Moon and traveling to Mars, expressing excitement to "help prepare the next generation of engineers, explorers, and leaders.
19 Articles
19 Articles
Mike Fincke Retires From NASA After 549 Days In Space
NASA astronaut Mike Fincke is retiring from the agency after three decades of service, ending a career that included four space missions and 549 days in orbit. According to the report, Fincke ranks fourth among NASA astronauts for total time spent in space and completed nine spacewalks lasting a combined 48 hours and 37 minutes.💡The report said Fincke's final mission, SpaceX Crew-11, ended earlier than planned in January 2026 after an undisclos…
NASA Astronaut Mike Fincke retires, logging 549 days in space
NASA astronaut Mike Fincke has retired after a 30-year career that included accumulating 549 days of space time and becoming the first astronaut to be medically evacuated from the International Space Station.
Mike Fincke, a 30-year astronaut with experience across four spacecraft, retires from NASA
NASA astronaut and Expedition 73 Flight Engineer Mike Fincke smiles for a portrait during research operations for the Droplets fluid physics investigation. Fincke was inside the International Space Station’s Destiny laboratory module exploring how particles behave inside fluids. The microgravity study may inform commercial in-space manufacturing techniques and improve optical materials and pollution removal operations. Image: NASA Mike Fincke, a…
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