A photo of one of NASA’s returned astronauts has caused concern after the pair spent a grueling nine months in space.
Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Sunita "Suni" Williams finally returned to Earth after what was supposed to be a brief eight-day mission turned into a 286-day stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
The pair, along with NASA’s Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, splashed down off the coast of Florida aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule at 5:57PM ET on March 18, 2025, after a 17-hour journey back to Earth.
But while their return was celebrated as a success, the physical toll of their extended time in microgravity is already visible.
Upon landing, Wilmore and Williams were immediately stretchered away, a standard protocol for astronauts returning from extended missions in space.
However, images from NASA showing Suni Williams with an IV in her arm and visibly thin wrists have sparked discussions among medical experts, who say this could indicate muscle atrophy, bone density loss, or severe dehydration.
"An extended period in space can be quite challenging and taxing on your body," said Dr. Rowena Christiansen, the University of Melbourne’s space health topic coordinator, per News.com.au.
She explained that without gravity, your muscles weaken and shrink, especially in the legs, neck, and heart.
Bones lose minerals, particularly calcium, leading to weaker bone density, and fluids shift upward, causing astronauts to develop puffy faces and nasal congestion.
Vision can change, with astronauts experiencing a condition called Spaceflight Associated Neuro-ocular Syndrome (SANS), which can flatten the eyeball and swell the optic nerve.
NASA officials confirmed that Williams and Wilmore would require weeks of rehabilitation to restore strength and mobility after their extended time in microgravity.
While the human body adapts to microgravity, the return to Earth’s gravity is a shock.
According to BBC News, here’s how nine months in space affects astronauts:
- Loss of muscle mass and bone density: Astronauts lose about 1% of their bone density per month in space.
- Weakened cardiovascular system: The heart doesn’t have to work as hard in space, so it weakens over time.
- Vision changes: Increased pressure in the skull can distort the shape of the eye, leading to blurred vision.
- Psychological effects: Long-duration missions can cause anxiety and depression due to prolonged isolation.
- "Baby feet" syndrome: Astronauts lose the thick, calloused skin on their feet due to a lack of walking, making it painful to move upon return.
Former NASA astronaut Terry Virts described the experience of reacclimating to Earth: "For me, I felt two things: I felt really heavy and really, really dizzy. It took time for my sense of balance to fully recover."
With 286 days in space behind them, Wilmore and Williams have now completed 4,576 orbits around Earth, making them the sixth longest-serving NASA astronauts for a single mission.
Their extended stay, though physically demanding, provided critical data on how the human body adapts to long-duration space travel - a key stepping stone for future Mars missions.
Despite their current fragile condition, NASA officials remain optimistic about their recovery.
"Suni and Butch did 150 experiments and 900 hours of research during their stint on the ISS," said Joel Montalbano, NASA’s Deputy Associate Administrator of Space Operations.
"Their work benefits the nation and increases the chance that NASA will be successful in landing a person on Mars by the end of the decade."