NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry ‘Butch’ Wilmore, who have been stranded in space for nine months, are set to return to Earth soon, but significant bodily challenges await them after their long journey.
Williams and Wilmore are scheduled to return to Earth, no sooner than March 19. A joint mission by NASA and Elon Musk’s SpaceX, Crew Dragon-10, has set out for the International Space Station, and is now docked at the ISS.
RESCUE MISSION: SpaceX Dragon spacecraft docked March 16 at 1:35AM and the members of Crew-10 entered the ISS with the rest of the Expedition 72 crew. pic.twitter.com/2myCUIYhy8
— @amuse (@amuse) March 16, 2025
The two astronauts had reached the ISS aboard a Boeing Starliner capsule, but were unable to return, due to concerns surrounding the technical safety of the spacecraft.
While they eagerly await their return to the planet, they are likely to face several physical complications due to their prolonged exposure to space and a lack of gravity.
Baby Feet:
Former NASA astronaut Leroy Chiao told NewsNation Prime, that Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore might experience trouble walking once they return.
He stated that astronauts experience “baby feet” after a long period of space travel. He said that the weightlessness experienced in space causes calluses on the feet to disappear.
“You basically lose the thick part of your skin,” Chiao said.
Bone Density and Muscle Loss:
According to NASA, astronauts experience a loss of bone density and muscle atrophy, due to the lack of Earth’s gravity bearing down on the body. This can lead to serious health complications if not countered through exercise and rehabilitation.
In space, the tissues of bones reshape themselves and cells that build new bone tissue start to slow down, while those which break old bone tissue continue at the same pace.
For every month in space, an astronaut’s weight-bearing bones lose one percent of density, making them weaker and more brittle. After 10 months in space, Williams and Wilmore will have to counter this loss after their return.
Exposure to radiation:
Exposure to space radiation, can cause significant long-term health issues for astronauts, putting them at risk for cancer, degenerative diseases and issues with the central nervous system.
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