No Doctors in Space: How NASA Handles Medical Emergencies on the ISS

NASA's protocols for astronaut health were tested when a “serious” medical issue forced the cancellation of a 2026 ISS spacewalk and led to consideration of an early crew return. The agency notes there are no doctors aboard the ISS; instead, astronauts train in emergency care and rely on telemedicine to consult specialists on Earth. NASA assigns a flight surgeon to each crew to oversee medical training and monitor health before, during and after missions.

Equipment and Emergency Evacuation

According to NASA, the ISS has an onboard robust pharmacy and a set of medical equipment, which are trained to be used by the crews. Thus, when one of the crew members contracted a blood clot, NASA limited the use of medicine to enable the astronaut to survive the journey. Should an emergency arise on on-board care, the emergency evacuation will be considered: visiting Soyuz or Crew Dragon capsules will act as lifeboats, and the crew will be able to undock and land on Earth, where flight surgeons and medics will be ready to receive them at the splashdown.

Training and Telemedicine

NASA appoints a dedicated space medicine doctor (flight surgeon) to each crew that travels on the ISS. These doctors are responsible for pre-flight medical checks as well as monitoring the health conditions of the crew members on Earth during flight operations. Astronauts are all trained as medical responders; each has a pack with trauma kits and ultrasound devices that are used in medical emergencies. Crew members can reach out to the flight surgeon for any ordinary health issues over secure telemedicine connections. This provides the astronauts with all the tools they need, as stated by astronaut Tom Marshburn, "We have the tools to do it."