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After spending nine months stranded in space, NASA astronauts Barry ‘Butch’ Wilmore and Sunita ‘Suni’ Williams haSpaceX Dragon spacecraft on March 18, splashing down in the Gulf of Mexico near Tallahassee, Florida.
While their return is cause for celebration, the impact of prolonged space travel on their bodies is undeniable. As soon as they landed, they were carried away on stretchers, unable to walk—a common sight for astronauts who have spent months in microgravity.
How Space Travel Alters the Human Body
Life on the International Space Station (ISS) is vastly different from life on Earth. In space, muscles weaken, bones lose density, and fluid shifts within the body due to the absence of gravity.
Now that Wilmore and Williams are back, they’re experiencing gravity for the first time in nearly a year, which poses several health risks.
Visible Changes: Weight Loss and Muscle Weakness
Observers noted that before-and-after photos of the astronauts showed them looking noticeably thinner. Experts explain that microgravity leads to muscle atrophy, even with strict exercise routines and high-calorie diets aboard the ISS. This is why the astronauts couldn’t walk immediately upon landing.
Hidden Health Risks: Vision Problems and Brain Pressure
Beyond visible changes, returning astronauts often face internal health complications, such as:
- Spaceflight Associated Neuro-Ocular Syndrome (SANS): A condition where fluid buildup in the head puts pressure on the optic nerve, leading to blurred vision and even permanent eye damage in some cases.
- Cognitive Decline: The brain undergoes changes due to fluid shifts and stress, which can cause dizziness, confusion, and memory issues upon return.
- Swollen Face and Blood Circulation Issues: Without gravity, blood shifts upward in the body, often making astronauts’ faces look puffy—a condition linked to Spaceflight Venous Thrombosis (SVT).
How Long Until They Fully Recover?
NASA closely monitors returning astronauts at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, where Wilmore and Williams are undergoing medical tests. While most space travelers regain their pre-mission fitness within 45 days, full recovery can take months or even years in extreme cases.
British astronaut Tim Peake, who spent six months in space, shared his experience:
“For me, going into space was no problem at all, but for the first two days on Earth, I felt pretty rough. The entire body is simply adjusting to gravity. You feel dizzy, a bit nauseous. It takes a couple of days to get over that.”
The Future of Long-Duration Space Missions
As space agencies plan for longer missions—including trips to March —bottomphysical toll of space travel and the challenges that future astronauts will face.
For now, the two astronauts are back home, adapting to life on solid ground—and feeling the weight of the world, quite literally, once again.
