NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams finally returned to Earth yesterday (March 18), much to the relief of friends and loved ones.
What started as just an eight-day mission was extended to 250 days due to a series of technical issues with their spacecraft, which left the pair reliant on a later scheduled SpaceX capsule to bring them home.
Highlights
- Wilmore and Williams returned home after an unplanned 250-day stay in space.
- NASA photos reveal significant physical changes after long-duration space missions.
- Astronauts in space lose 1-2% bone density per month, mainly in the hip and spine.
- Frank Rubio holds the record for 371 consecutive days in space, but was able to fully recover.
The astronaut’s journey back wasn’t easy, as it required a fiery re-entry through the Earth's atmosphere and a splashdown off the coast of Florida.
Showcasing the impact of their time in space, dramatic before-and-after photos revealed the strain that the mission had on their bodies.
Before-and-after photos revealed the physical impact that a 250-day-long mission had on recently returned astronauts
Image credits: Robert Markowitz / NASA
Upon landing on Earth, the pair were greeted by a recovery crew who retrieved them from the hatch and placed them on stretchers—standard protocol for long-duration space missions, which put a strain on the body as it acclimates to Earth’s gravity.
Both Williams and Wilmore appeared happy and relieved as they were exiting the capsule, but netizens were quick to notice a dramatic difference in their physical appearance, with some describing them as gaunt and others theorizing that they had aged years in the months they spent in space.
Image credits: NASA/Keegan Barber
Despite astronauts following rigorous exercise regimens while on mission, the effects of microgravity are inevitable.
“Each astronaut aboard the space station engages the muscles, bones, and other connective tissues that comprise their musculoskeletal systems using Earth-like exercise regimens. Crews exercise for an average of two hours a day,” an article from NASA stated.
Image credits: NASA/Keegan Barber
The document also explains that astronauts are expected to lose 1% to 2% of bone density per month, mainly in the hip and spine. For context, menopausal women and older men lose 0.5 to 1% of their bone density per year.
Space travel causes atrophy of bone and muscle, as well as changes in blood flow that have negative effects on health
Image credits: NASA
Muscle loss is also a delicate matter to consider, as the European Space Agency explained, “Loss of 10 to 20 % has been observed on short missions and, if no countermeasures were applied, this could go up to 50% on long duration missions.”
This is caused due to gravity altering the circulating levels of growth hormone, glucocorticoids, and reducing protein synthesis rates, as well as affecting muscle fibers themselves.
Image credits: NASA
The changes in blood circulation are known to cause a condition known as Spaceflight Associated Neuro-Ocular Syndrome (SANS), which can cause pressure to build on the optic nerve, leading to blurred vision.
Many astronauts recover fully after returning to Earth, but some of the effects can be long-lasting.
The current record for most consecutive days in outer space belongs to Frank Rubio, whose mission lasted for 371 days
Image credits: NASA
Wilmore and Williams’ 250-long stay in space is far from the largest any astronaut has spent.
Frank Rubio, a 49-year-old flight surgeon, US Army colonel, astronaut, and helicopter pilot, holds the record for the longest-running single spaceflight mission in space at an impressive 371 days.
Upon completing his mission on September 27, 2023, Rubio reported experiencing lower back pain and foot sensitivity, detailing his experience in an interview with Time Magazine.
Image credits: NASA/Keegan Barber
“The first two or three months after your return is really focused on [recovery], just kind of reincorporating yourself into Earth, your family, and then also rehabilitating your body,” he said.
“You adapt incredibly quickly to being in space, but then, unfortunately, the readaptation process back to earth can sometimes be a little bit longer and more difficult.”
According to Rubio, readaptation to Earth’s atmosphere took him about “two to three months,” with the help of “lots of exercise, lots of testing, and science,” and said he felt about 90-95% as healthy as he was before he left the planet for more than a year.
The pair remains under observation by NASA’s medical team and is expected to fully recover in the following months
Image credits: Joe Raedle / Getty
Much like Rubio, Williams also became a record-holder by becoming the female astronaut with the most hours spent outside a space station.
NASA’s medical team at the Johnson Space Center will now monitor their health closely, which is at its most delicate the first few days back on Earth, while their bodies adjust to the planet’s gravity.
Experts expect both astronauts to quickly and successfully recover from their mission, with their experience serving as a stark reminder of the physical toll these professionals endure in the name of science, their resilience, and their optimism.
"Heartfelt admiration." Netizens took to social media to congratulate the astronauts for their bravery
