After a gruelling nine months in space, it might not come as a surprise that the NASA astronauts who were ‘stuck’ in orbit look noticeably different.
On Tuesday (March 18), NASA astronauts Barry ‘Butch’ Wilmore and Sunita ‘Suni’ Williams returned to Earth aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft.
They had been effectively ‘stranded’ on the International Space Station (ISS) since June last year.
Being away from home so long can harm their health, and NASA took precautions.
After their splashdown off the Gulf Coast near Tallahassee, they were carried out on stretchers before taking a single step.
Wilmore and Williams before their journey to the ISS in June (MIGUEL J. RODRIGUEZ CARRILLO/AFP via Getty Images)
Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams before the launch (Kirk Sides/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)
Aside from inhaling Earth air again, they are feeling gravity pull on their bones for the first time in nine months.
That return to gravity brings a suite of potential health problems.
Reports list issues from weakened legs and smaller feet to a raised cancer risk, per the Daily Mail and commentary linked to Spaceflight Associated Neuro-Ocular Syndrome (SANS).
NASA currently conducts a battery of medical checks at its Johnson Space Center in Houston.
But some specialists warn signs of health decline already appear in public before-and-after photographs of the pair.
Observers suggested the images show the astronauts looking gaunter and possibly lighter in weight after their mission.
Williams couldn’t walk when she came out of the spacecraft (NASA)
Suni Williams back on Earth (Keegan Barber/NASA via Getty Images)
Experts point out a fluid shift toward the head can put pressure on eyes and the optic nerves.
Spaceflight Associated Neuro-Ocular Syndrome (SANS) can cause optic nerve swelling and blurred vision.
Many astronauts’ eyesight improves after returning, but NASA warns some effects may be lasting.
The risk rises the longer someone remains in space, which is relevant given the pair’s extended mission.
Shifts in brain pressure, combined with stress and sleep loss, may also affect cognitive performance.
Butch Wilmore after splashdown (Keegan Barber/NASA via Getty Images)
Microgravity poses the biggest threat.
Without Earth’s pull, muscles weaken and maintaining a healthy weight becomes harder.
That muscle atrophy helps explain why the astronauts could not walk immediately after landing.
Even with rigorous exercise and a calorie-rich diet on the ISS, their bodies still suffer deterioration.
Another issue is Spaceflight Venous Thrombosis (SVT).
SVT relates to the upward fluid shift that can leave faces looking puffy, effectively the result of spending prolonged time inverted.
NASA says most crew members regain pre-mission fitness within about 45 days.
However, severe cases can take months or even a year to fully recover.
“For me, going into space was no problem at all, but for the first two days on Earth, I felt pretty rough.
“I think Butch and Suni will be feeling a bit rough right now. You know, the whole body is just getting used to gravity. The vestibular systems a bit messed up. You feel dizzy, a bit nauseous. So, it’ll take them a couple of days to get over that.”
— Retired British astronaut Tim Peake (commenting on RadioX)