Sunita Williams Live Updates: NASA Astronauts Return to Earth, Face Health Challenges

Sunita Williams Live Updates: Indian-origin NASA astronaut Sunita Williams, along with her colleague Butch Wilmore, safely returned to Earth on Wednesday after an unexpected 286-day mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

Initially planned as a short 8-day flight, their mission was extended to 9 months due to technical issues with their spacecraft. Despite the challenges, Williams and Wilmore demonstrated remarkable resilience and adaptability.

A SpaceX Crew Dragon spaceship carrying the two astronauts, alongside American Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, streaked through the atmosphere before deploying parachutes for a gentle splashdown off the Florida coast at 3:27 am IST.

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The two astronauts flew to the orbital lab in June last year, on what was supposed to be a days-long roundtrip to test Boeing's Starliner on its first crewed flight. The spaceship, however, developed propulsion problems and was deemed unfit to fly back and later returned empty.

Face Health Challenges

Spending months in microgravity is brutal on the body. Without the Earth’s gravitational pull, muscles shrink, bones weaken and bodily fluids shift.

Astronauts lose muscle mass rapidly because they do not use their legs to support their weight. Their bones become fragile and they lose 1 percent of their bone mass per month – equivalent to an entire year of ageing on Earth.

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Radiation is another major concern. Although Earth’s magnetosphere shields the ISS, astronauts on missions lasting six months or longer receive more than 10 times the radiation than what is naturally occurring on Earth. Prolonged exposure is linked to higher cancer risks and potential cognitive decline.

How does the body recover back on Earth?

Returning to Earth does not immediately undo months of strain on astronauts’ bodies. As their bodies readjust to gravity, they experience balance issues, dizziness and weakened cardiovascular function.

Even months after landing, not everything recovers. They face long-term health risks, including cancer, nerve damage and degenerative and diseases.

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