NASA Astronauts Sunita Williams & Barry Wilmore To Return After 9 Months – How Will Earth’s Gravity Become Challenge For Them? News24 –

After spending nine months in space, Indian-origin NASA astronaut Sunita Williams and Butch Willmore are all set to return to earth in the third week of March, but as the time approaches, the sudden shift from microgravity to earth gravity will cause problems for the astronauts.

Experts predict that Williams body will struggle to adjust to the pressure and weight it has left behind when she returns to Earth’s gravitational pull. According to scientists, gravity draws everything down the lower extremities, including fluids, and even lifting a pencil will feel like an extreme workout.

According to healthsite.com, when Williams and Wilmore land back on Earth on March 19 or 20, they won’t just step out of their spacecraft and head home. Instead, they will be taken directly to a medical facility for thorough evaluations. Experts warn that spending an extended period in space without gravity and being exposed to cosmic radiation can have long-term effects on their health.

Dr. Vinay Gupta, a pulmonologist and Air Force veteran, estimates that it could take up to six weeks for the astronauts to fully regain their strength. One of the biggest challenges they will face is simply learning how to walk again. “I’ve been up here long enough; right now I’ve been trying to remember what it’s like to walk,” Williams said. She further added, “I haven’t walked. I haven’t sat down. I haven’t laid down.”

Muscle weakness

Due to the exposure to microgravity, the astronauts face issues like muscle weakness, which is also called muscle atrophy. The weakness includes the legs, back, and core, which eventually result in approximately 20 percent of muscle during long missions.

Bone Density And Fracture Risk

According to experts, the microgravity also caused severe bone density loss. As per the studies, astronauts lose 1 to 2 percent bone mass every month.

Balance And Coordination

Due to the long time in space, the brain adopts the new environment. Returning to the earth will cause dizziness and nausea, and the body will also face trouble in readjustment.

Heart Health And Blood Pressure

Due to microgravity, body fluids travel upward in space. This will lead to face fat and low blood in the legs. Microgravity also increased the risk of heart-related issues.

Vision problem

Exposure in microgravity for a long time also caused vision problems as all the fluids travelled upward, which triggers “intracranial pressure” in the eyes. In medical terms, it is called Spaceflight-Associated Neuro-ocular Syndrome (SANS).

Dr. James Carter, a space medicine specialist, explains, “Astronauts returning from long-duration missions experience significant physiological challenges. The process of walking again is not just about muscle recovery but also about retraining the brain and balance system to function under gravity once more. With proper rehabilitation, astronauts like Williams can make a full recovery, though it takes time.” as quoted by healthsite.com.

Notably, Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore, who were stuck in the International Space Station (ISS) for the last nine months, are all set to return to Earth on March 16, said NASA. NASA has cleared SpaceX Dragon for their return. Williams and Wilmore have gone on a 10-day mission from Boeing Starliner on June 5, 2024, after it faced some technical issues.

According to reports, Starline spacecraft returned to Earth without a crew in September 2024. Weeks later, NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov went on the SpaceX Crew-9 mission to rescue stranded astronauts. The original date for return was scheduled in February, but later it was delayed, and they are all set to return on March 16.

“Nasa’s ISS programme manager Dana Weigel explained that since Crew-9 was launching with two astronauts, it was sensible to accommodate Williams and Wilmore for the long-duration mission. On the other hand, Crew-10 is set to launch on March 12 from Kennedy Space Centre (KSC) with NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, JAXA’s Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos’ Kirill Peskov. Initially assigned to a new Crew Dragon, Crew-10 will now fly aboard the Endurance capsule due to delays in the new spacecraft’s construction,” said NASA in a press statement.

According to reports, the transfer follows public comments by US President Donald Trump and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk concerning stranded astronauts. However, NASA officials insisted that the decision was made before the public comment period.