A change of command has taken place on the International Space Station (ISS). American astronaut Michael Finke handed over command of the station to Russian cosmonaut Sergey Prokopyev. This transfer of command became necessary due to the early return of four crew members for medical reasons. This decision was made for the first time in the history of the ISS. The 'Crew 11' members were scheduled to remain on the station for several additional weeks. The next crew is currently scheduled for launch in mid-February, with a possible date change. Prokopyev arrived at the station in November along with Russian cosmonaut Sergey Mikayev and American astronaut Christopher Williams aboard a Soyuz rocket. During a live broadcast from the station, Finke described the moment as a mix of sadness and joy before handing the symbolic key to the station to Prokopyev. As the new commander, Prokopyev will be responsible for maintaining crew cohesion and coordinating with the ground control center. His first order was a group hug for all station team members. NASA had previously announced that four members of Crew 11—Finke, his NASA colleague Zena Cardman, Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov—would return to Earth early. All crew members attended the handover ceremony and spoke briefly.
