Shocking before and after photos of ‘stranded’ NASA astronauts show just how much 9 months in space affected them

The pair were stuck in space for months longer than they expected

Stranded NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore finally arrived home yesterday after more than nine months in space.

When they touched down in Florida, neither was able to physically step off the SpaceX Dragon capsule, and were instead carried out and placed on stretchers.

But this wasn’t due to any injury or illness; the move is merely protocol for any returning astronauts, who sometimes experience ‘space motion sickness’ as they return.

Their bodies also take time to reacclimatise to life on Earth, as prolonged periods in space can lead to gradual muscle and bone loss.

Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore at a press briefing in March 2024 after being announced as the crew for the mission (Kirk Sides/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)

Thankfully, Williams and Wilmore are said to be doing well, although the pair may still have been subject to various physical changes common with space travel.

But it sounds like a challenge Williams was willing to accept on behalf of her own body, saying in an interview with Fortune before her mission began: “It’s just what the human body does – it explores, among other things. We all have curiosity; we’re born with it. Maybe some of that gets pushed down a little bit by society and things going on around us, but we’re all curious and we want to explore. As a nation, this is one of those things that gives people hope and understanding about things that are bigger than themselves.”

Williams’ said “It’s just what the human body does – it explores, among other things.” (Kirk Sides/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)

Williams and Wilmore during a ‘dress rehearsal’ in April (Instagram/@nasaastronauts)

The pair set off in June 2024, and were originally scheduled to be in space for just over a week.

However, after their aircraft, the Boeing Starliner, experienced technical problems, they were forced to stay put for an extra 278 days than planned.

Speaking at a press conference in September last year after several months in space, Williams admitted she was missing her two dogs and friends.

She said: “But you know what? Like Butch said, there are so many people on Earth that are sending us messages.

“And it makes you feel just right at home with everybody when we’re able to have those conversations with our friends and family at home.”

Wilmore said they had experienced some ‘tough times’, but added: “We were very fortunate that we have the Space Station and that we had the option to stay and we had the option to come back a different way.”

Wilmore smiles for a portrait in the middle of orbital maintenance duties in August 2024 (Instagram/@iss)

Williams, also pictured in August 2024 (Instagram/@iss)

Back on Earth, people began to grow concerned over Williams’ health after seeing photos of her on the ISS.

Pulmonologist Dr Vinay Gupta told the Daily Mail at the time: “I think what I can discern by her face and her cheeks being sunken in is that [she] has probably been at a significant [calorie] deficit for a while.

“Based on what I’m at least seeing in the photo, I don’t think she’s quite at a… place where I say her life’s in danger.

“But I don’t think you can look at that photo and say she has sort of healthy body weight.”

Some people were left concerned after seeing photos of Williams (NASA Johnson)

But the astronaut later spoke out to put everyone’s minds at ease, telling the New England Sports Network Clubhouse in November: “There’s a lot of changes that go on up here.

“But it’s funny, I think there’s some rumours around out there that I’m losing weight and stuff. I’m actually right at the same amount.”

Williams also explained that she’d actually built muscle during the trip, adding: “I think things shift around quite a bit. You’ve probably heard of a fluid shift, where folks in space, their heads look a little bigger because the fluid evens out along the body.

“But Butch and I have been up here for a number of months, we’ve been on the workout gear. We’ve got a bike, we got a treadmill and we got weightlifting equipment.

“And I could definitely tell that weightlifting – which is not something I do all the time – has definitely changed me. My thighs are a little bigger, my butt is a little bigger, we do a lot of squats.”

Williams and Winmore with Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov and NASA astronaut Nick Hague last month (Instagram/@iss)

Finally, the time came for the crew to return home – a journey that took 17 hours in total.

They were all-smiles as they were stretchered away from the capsule, with Williams giving a hearty thumbs up to cameras.

(NASA/Keegan Barber/Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)

(NASA/Keegan Barber/Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)

(NASA/Keegan Barber/Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)

The pair were then due to be checked over by medical teams before being reunited with their loved ones, but Steve Stich, manager at NASA’s Commercial Crew Program said at a news conference that they were doing ‘great’.

Joel Montalbano, deputy associate administrator at NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate, also said: “It is awesome to have crew 9 home, just a beautiful landing.”

Thanking the crew for their resilience and flexibility, he added that SpaceX had been a ‘great partner’ for the mission.

Featured Image Credit: Kirk Sides/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images/NASA/Keegan Barber/Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images

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What ‘stranded’ NASA astronauts had to eat in space as their return sparks a number of questions

Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore have been up in space for nine months before finally returning on Tuesday evening (18 March)

NASA astronauts Sunita ‘Suni’ Williams and Barry ‘Butch’ Wilmore have finally touched back down on Earth after spending nine months on the International Space Station (ISS).

The pair set off back in June last year, but due to technical problems with their Boeing Starliner, they had no choice but to find an alternative mode of transport for their journey home.

Fast forward to this week and thanks to NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission, Williams and Wilmore – along with two other astronauts – splashed down off the coast of Florida on Tuesday evening.

Following the pair’s return, many have been asking questions about the astronauts’ time in space, including what they’ve been eating and how much they were paid for the mission.

Turns out, their diet may be more varied than you’d imagine.

What did the astronauts eat in space?

According to the New York Post, Wilmore and Williams were enjoying all sorts of foods up in space, including pizza, roast chicken, and even shrimp cocktails.

The publication explained that a specialist close to the mission said the astronauts are ‘chowing down on a variety of food, including breakfast cereal with powdered milk, pizza, shrimp cocktails, roast chicken, and tuna’.

However, it was reported that the pair had limited access to fresh produce, which is understandable.

“There’s fresh fruit at first,” said the unnamed specialist.

“But as the three months continues that goes away — and their fruits and vegetables are packaged or freeze-dried.”

A photo shared on the Instagram page for the ISS showed the team having a ‘pizza night’, explaining: “Pizza night in space!

“A big crew favorite is pizza with the astronauts adding their own ingredients and cooking personal-size pies aboard the International Space Station’s galley.

“Items are attached to the galley using tape and velcro to keep them from flying away in the microgravity environment.”

How much have the astronauts been paid?

What may come as a surprise to all of us on Earth is that the astronauts won’t get a huge amount in financial compensation for overtime pay.

Cady Coleman, a retired NASA astronaut, revealed to the Washingtonian that the astronauts don’t get any special overtime beyond their standard salaried pay packet.

“There is some small amount of money every say for incidentals that they end up being legally obligated to pay you,” Coleman shared, revealing for her it was around $4 (£3.19) per day.

The capsule splashed down off the coast of Florida (Keegan Barber/NASA via Getty Images)

How will the astronauts’ health be impacted?

After splashdown, the astronauts were carried out of the capsule on a stretcher before undergoing a number of health checks.

Former NASA astronaut, Peggy Whitson told Today that astronauts actually grow in space because the spinal column expands out without gravity.

However, once back on Earth, the spinal disks compress again – something which can also lead to ‘dramatic’ back pain.

The lack of gravity in space may also cause major bone density loss.

It can also cause muscles in your arms and legs to waste away.

Muscles in your heart are also impacted by the process, as the vital organ doesn’t have to pump blood against gravity meaning it has much less work to do.

The astronauts are finally back on Earth (Keegan Barber/NASA via Getty Images)

Lastly, returning back to Earth after an extended period of time in space can seriously impact your mental health.

Alan Duffy, an astrophysicist at Swinburne University, explains: “For anyone who’s been stranded in the wrong airport for a day or two, wanting to get home – imagine you’ve been able to see home that entire time.

“These people are truly astonishing in terms of their resilience.”

Following health checks, it’s expected that the astronauts will finally be able to reunite with their loved ones after so long apart.

Featured Image Credit: NASA

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Why ‘stranded’ NASA astronauts were carried away in stretchers immediately after returning to Earth

When their capsule was opened, both Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore were carried out of the spacecraft and placed on stretchers

‘Stranded’ NASA astronauts Sunita ‘Suni’ Williams and Barry ‘Butch’ Wilmore finally touched down yesterday (18 March) after more than nine months in space.

The pair were only meant to be on the International Space Station for eight days when they left Earth on 5 June last year, but were forced to prolong their stay when their faulty Boeing Starliner capsule suffered helium leaks and a thruster malfunction. I hate it when that happens.

Thankfully, their relief crew arrived to take over on Sunday (16 March), meaning they could head home after a casual 286 days in space – 278 days longer than anticipated when they launched.

When their capsule was opened, both Williams and Wilmore were carried out of the spacecraft and placed on stretchers, despite the fact neither was suffering any injury or illness.

Butch Wilmore returns to Earth (Keegan Barber/NASA via Getty Images)

According to experts, this is simply protocol for any astronauts returning to Earth from space.

John DeWitt, director of applied sports science at Rice University in Texas – and a former senior scientist at NASA’s Johnson Space Center – told LiveScience: “A lot of them don’t want to be brought out on a stretcher, but they’re told they have to be.”

When astronauts touch down, they aren’t allowed to walk immediately due to temporary changes that happen in space; being stretchered away is simply part of NASA’s strict safety procedures.

This is because people sometimes experience dizziness and nausea when they travel home, similar to how some suffer motion sickness on a roller coaster or boat.

Our bodies are hard-wired to take advantage of gravity, but that obviously becomes difficult in a space habitat like the ISS and means astronauts are forced to adapt to an entirely new environment.

However, then they return to Earth – and gravity – they have to readjust all over again, which DeWitt said causes ‘space motion sickness’.

Prolonged periods in space can also lead to gradual muscle and bone density loss, as astronauts don’t need to use their muscles as much as we do on Earth.

The duo ended up in space for nine months (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

To counter this, astronauts have onboard equipment so that they can follow a daily exercise regime.

Williams told DeWitt via email: “Been working out for the past nine months.

“We feel strong and ready to tackle Earth’s gravity.”

DeWitt added: “They’re in good spirits and feel very confident that there’s not going to be any major issues because of being on the space station so long from a physiological perspective.

“They’re getting exactly what they would have gotten had their trip been planned to be nine months.”

Featured Image Credit: Keegan Barber/NASA via Getty Images

Topics: Space, Nasa, Science, Health

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Reason why ‘stranded’ NASA astronauts landed in the ocean instead of solid ground

Sunita ‘Suni’ Williams and Barry ‘Butch’ Wilmore spent a staggering total of 286 days in space

There’s an interesting reason as to why the stuck NASA astronauts landed in the ocean instead of solid ground earlier this week on Tuesday (18 March).

Sunita ‘Suni’ Williams and Barry ‘Butch’ Wilmore docked their Boeing Starliner onto the International Space Station (ISS) back in June for what was supposed to be an eight-day mission, unaware that they’d be trapped in the ship for a further nine months following a bout of technical faults.

Despite mass concern online, Williams and Wilmore assured the public they weren’t abandoned on the ISS following claims made by President Donald Trump and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk that their return was delayed by the Joe Biden administration for political reasons.

How did they land?

The NASA astronauts’ SpaceX capsule parachuted into the Gulf of Mexico, just hours after leaving the ISS with splashdown occurring off the coast of Tallahassee, Florida, which eventually brought their unplanned odyssey to an end.

Wilmore and Williams ended up spending a staggering 286 days in space, which is a whole 278 days longer than anticipated when they launched.

They circled Earth 4,576 times and travelled 121 million miles by the time of splashdown.

The NASA astronauts returned to Earth on Tuesday (18 March) after spending 286 days in space (Keegan Barber/NASA via Getty Images)

What is a splashdown landing?

The splashdown method is pretty much what it says on the tin – a technique where a spacecraft lands in the ocean instead of on solid ground.

Sunita ‘Suni’ Williams (NASA / Handout / Getty Images)

Why was a splashdown used for the return?

There are a number of reasons as to why the splashdown method is used with one being that it simply makes for a gentler landing.

This is because the body of water acts as somewhat of a natural cushion which, in turn, reduces the impact force on astronauts compared to a hard ground landing.

Secondly, it means the aircraft design can be simpler as such a landing eliminates the need for complex landing gear like wheels or airbags which makes the spacecraft lighter and safer.

And, thirdly, a splashdown landing brings with it a lower risk of damage as spacecrafts can experience some very intense heat and speed during re-entry to Earth and landing in water can help minimise structural stress on the vessel.

The crew were carried away in stretchers immediately after returning to Earth (Anadolu / Contributor / Getty Images)

What’s next for Wilmore and Williams?

Ahead of readjusting to their normal every day lives on Earth, it’s expected that the astronauts will have to go through some protocol, as well as health checks, after so long in space.

A NASA spokesperson has previously said: “All NASA astronauts aboard the International Space Station undergo routine medical evaluations, have dedicated flight surgeons monitoring them, and are in good health.”

Featured Image Credit: Keegan Barber/NASA via Getty Image

Topics: US News, Nasa, Space, Explained

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Everything ‘stranded’ NASA astronauts will have felt during descent back to Earth

Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore have finally landed back home, but what was their journey back like?

Stranded NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore are finally safe and sound on Earth after more than nine months in space.

The pair was only due to be on the International Space Station for around a week, but after technical issues found themselves there for an extra 278 days.

Yesterday marked their grand return, which will no doubt have come as a huge relief to both, who had previously admitted to missing loved ones at home – understandable really, given that everyone was probably expecting them back for a roast the following Sunday, only to have to wait the best part of a year.

But while being back on home soil may feel like a huge comfort, it sounds like the trip back may not have been quite so pleasant.

The journey

The journey itself sees astronauts crammed into a tiny capsule – a stark contrast to their floating home on the International Space Station, where they’ve lived for the past nine months.

They then plummet through the atmosphere of Earth, with a heat shield working hard as fiery plasma forms around the craft.

An ESA simulation of the return journey (YouTube/European Space Agency)

And it turns out you can actually feel the moment the capsule hits Earth’s atmosphere – a moment that doesn’t sound too soothing.

Italian astronaut Paolo Nespoli told The Atlantic: “Seen from the inside of the spacecraft, it felt like there was somebody out there outside the spacecraft with a sledgehammer was hammering here and there, up and down. And so every few milliseconds, the spacecraft was shaking. There’s a ‘BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!’ It felt really interesting, actually.”

In an interview with ITV, British reserve astronaut Meganne Christian also described the unique sensation of returning to gravity as feeling like ‘when a car turns a corner and you feel that extra weight on you’.

Another still from the ESA’s simulation (YouTube/European Space Agency)

The landing

Last night, people watched on as the SpaceX Dragon capsule splashed down in waters near Tallahasse, Florida.

As Nespoli puts it, the ‘soft landing’ they’ll have experienced comes with a bit of a misleading title.

“The soft landing is not really soft,” he said.

(YouTube/European Space Agency)

“You prepare for it by putting your arms against your body, not touching any metallic parts, all your books against you.

“You’re not talking, not to put the tongue in the middle of your teeth. And you’re laying there, trying to be as inside your seat as well as you can. And you’re waiting for this ‘soft landing’ to happen. Which, for me, it felt like a head-on collision between a truck and a small car. Of course, I wasn’t in a small car.”

Nespoli added: “So when this happened, it was like, ‘BADDA-BOOM!’ Everything shook. I was kind of checking in there. And then: silence. Everything was stopped. So I looked a little bit around, I looked at my crew members, and I said, ‘Hey, guys – welcome back to Earth.’”

Butch Wilmore after landing safely back on Earth (Keegan Barber/NASA via Getty Images)

The aftermath

There are a number of physical changes that astronauts often have to manage, including ‘baby feet’, bone and muscle loss and even swollen eyeballs.

But Christian warned that it will have also been mentally difficult for Williams and Wilmore, who were away from their family for so long – the uncertainty of their return date possibly taking its toll.

British astronaut Tim Peake also explained to ITV that there will be a ‘mixture of emotions’ upon their return.

“They will be coming back and feeling that pressure of suddenly being immersed into a very busy environment but they will have a lot of people to support them,” he said.