Longtime NASA astronaut Mike Fincke is leaving the space agency, months after he experienced a medical emergency aboard the International Space Station. Fincke’s last day at NASA is Wednesday, according to a news release.

Medical Emergency in Space

Fincke and his fellow astronauts were forced to return to Earth early after he suffered a mysterious ailment that left him unable to speak for roughly 20 minutes. The incident prompted an urgent response from NASA, which typically does not disclose details of medical emergencies or the identity of the astronaut involved.

Fincke later identified himself as the astronaut who experienced the medical emergency, which remains a mystery that NASA and medical researchers are working to solve. Despite the incident, Fincke expressed his gratitude to his crewmates, the teams on the ground, and the families who support the astronauts.

A Career of Exploration

Fincke has had a distinguished career at NASA, flying four missions to space and accumulating 549 days in orbit. He has completed nine spacewalks and spent most of his time in space aboard the International Space Station.

Although Fincke is leaving NASA, he remains committed to the work of exploration and is excited to carry the lessons he has learned forward to help prepare the next generation of engineers, explorers, and leaders.

Original reporting: KEYT (Ventura/Santa Barbara) — read the source article.