Two astronauts who have been stranded in space for over nine months will face a gruelling rehabilitation programme when they finally return to Earth, a doctor has revealed.
Barry 'Butch' Wilmore and Sunita 'Suni' Williams blasted up to space on June 5, 2024, in a mission that was supposed to last just eight days.
However, technical issues with the ship have extended their stay well into 2025, with the duo memorably spending Christmas Day in space. Whether they were able to catch Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl up there is currently unclear, but I'm sure it's on their watchlist.
Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore have been stranded in space since June 2024 (Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo/AFP)
Nine months on, and the duo are finally able to contemplate a reunion with their families and friends, with the Space X vessel currently scheduled for a return on either March 19 or March 20 (you have to give NASA credit for putting a date on it, given the history of the mission so far).
After nine months of floating around in space, the first thing I'd want to do is get back into my own bed, but the astronauts won't even get the chance to do that. Instead, stretchers are likely to transport them directly from the spaceship to a medical facility, where their rehabilitation programme will begin.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Dr Vinay Gupta, a pulmonologist and Air Force veteran, said the astronauts will likely need at least six weeks of rehabilitation to regain their strength, which will include guided exercise and a nutritional plan. The first phase of the recovery process will focus on walking and muscle strengthening, as despite astronauts reportedly exercising for two hours a day in space, they are still likely to lose bone density and musculature.
He said: "The human body needs the Earth's gravitational pull, and in an absence of that, a lot of things are not functioning correctly. The reality is, they're effectively getting a fraction of the sort of exercise that we all take for granted just by walking in [Earth's] gravity,
"Invariably, despite them doing all the right things (which I know they are) you're going to see a decrease in muscle mass and strength — no question."
Dr Gupta also raised concerns about the astronauts exposure to radiation and the risks of cancer.
He said: "If I was their physician, I would think about a more proactive strategy for cancer screening. We want to take a different approach here, given that they had such a unique exposure history."
Suni has herself spoken about how she has 'been trying to remember what it’s like to walk', while President Donald Trump and Elon Musk have also discussed the ongoing rescue plans.
Hopefully, it's not too much longer now until we see Suni and Butch back on home turf, and their rehabilitation process goes more smoothly than the mission did.
Updated 18:11 15 Sep 2024 GMT+1Published 18:12 15 Sep 2024 GMT+1
NASA astronauts stranded in space until 2025 speak out on ‘uncomfortable’ issues with spacecraft
Suni Wiliams and Butch Wilmore have opened up about their experience in space
Astronauts who have been stranded on the International Space Station have spoken out about the issues they 'were not comfortable with'.
When NASA astronauts Suni Wiliams and Butch Wilmore first made the journey to space this year, they believed that they’d only be up there for eight days before returning home.
But spacecraft difficulties mean that the pair will now be stranded in space until 2025 - however, a return date is yet to be announced.
The astronauts have faced technical problems with the Boeing Starliner capture, which has noted issues with its thrusters as well as helium leaking.
This means it could be too unsafe for the two to make a return trip until next year.
They’ve answered a lot of questions regarding how 'concerned' they feel and what they've been doing to occupy themselves, however, they've recently opened up about 'some changes that need to be made'.
The pair are stuck in space until next year. (NASA)
Wilmore, 61, explained that although there are issues, he feels ‘very fortunate’ to be on the ISS right now before being able to make the safe journey home when the SpaceX Crew Dragon arrives in February.
As per The Independent, he said: “Obviously, when you have issues like we’ve had, there’s some changes that need to be made. Boeing’s on board with that. We’re all on board with that.
"Starliner’s crewed test flight was meant to push the edge of the envelope. …"And when you do things with spacecraft that have never been done before, just like Starliner, you’re going to find some things.
“In this case, we found some things that we just could not get comfortable with putting us back in the Starliner.”
He added: "“There’s many cases in the past where there have not been other options.
“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 believes that if the NASA crew had more time to figure things out, then they would have been able to return home using the Boeing Capsule, adding: “I think the data could have gotten there.
"We could have gotten to the point, I believe, where we could have returned on Starliner. But we just simply ran out of time.”
Despite fears over the safety of the pair, the Starliner managed to return to Earth on 6 September without a hitch.
Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
According to reports, while the two were in the Capsule, there were issues with propulsion and orientation, however, these issues didn’t affect the craft when it touched down in New Mexico.
They even reported hearing a strange noise, which NASA have since confirmed the source of the noise to be speaker.
Now, the two astronauts will have to wait nearly eight months before they can return home, which means they’ll also miss Christmas with their families this year due to the issues faced up in space.
But Wilmore isn’t too phased and explained that it didn’t take him too long to adjust to the change of plans.
He said: “I’m not gonna fret over it. I mean, there’s no benefit to it at all. So my transition was — maybe it wasn’t instantaneous — but it was pretty close.”
His crewmate, Williams also told CNN that space is her ‘happy place.’
Featured Image Credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images/NASA
Topics: NASA, SpaceX, Space, Science
Britt Jones
Published 13:00 20 Feb 2025 GMT
Horrifying reason NASA astronaut fainted during ceremony hours after returning to Earth from space
Astronaut Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper struggled to stay on her feet during the welcome home ceremony
The reason behind a NASA astronaut fainting after returning to Earth shows the extreme strain which going to space puts on your body.
Boarding a rocket and heading up to the stars to catch a glimpse of the cosmos sounds like a pretty cool idea in theory, sure.
But are you aware of how going into space himpacts your body?
Hanging out in space isn't good for your body (Getty Stock Images)
It'll come as no surprise that the human body is not equipped to be in space - although you'll have likely guessed that from the amount of effort it takes to get a person off Earth.
A good example of this is what happened to US astronaut Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper, who famously fainted during a welcome home ceremony after her first trip into space.
Stefanyshyn-Piper was part of the STS-115 Atlantis crew in September 2006 and spent 12 days in space, completing two spacewalks during the mission.
However, the 62-year-old's body had a difficult time adjusting to being back on Earth, with her legs giving way while she was mid-way through a speech.
Watch the moment below:
After being helped back to her feet Stefanyshyn-Piper made light of the situation, telling the crowd: "Boy if that's not a little embarrassing," before collapsing to the ground once again.
The footage appears a little concerning at first, prompting NASA officials to state explain why Stefanyshyn-Piper's reaction is 'very normal' for a returning astronaut.
This is because the body becomes accustomed to the weightlessness of space, meaning that touching down on Earth and having to use your legs after nearly two weeks floating is often a little disorientating.
Heidemarie collapsed twice during her welcome home speech (Karen Warren/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)
"Heide is in excellent health. For a returning astronaut, the symptoms she experienced are very normal for what can occur during re-adaptation," NASA flight surgeon Dr. Smith Johnston explained at the time (via Chron).
NASA goes on to add that weight-bearing bones lose an average of '1% to 1.5% of mineral density per month during spaceflight'.
Add this to the fact that astronauts' muscle mass depletes faster due to lack of exercise and it's not surprising why Stefanyshyn-Piper, and many other astronauts, have come home and found themselves feeling unsteady on their feet.
Concerns about the impact which spaceflight has on the body have begun to circulate once again amid health concerns about 'stranded' astronauts Barry 'Butch' Wilmore and Sunita 'Suni' Williams, who are set to return home soon after their Boeing Starliner mission ran into difficulties.
Featured Image Credit: Karen Warren/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images
Topics: Space, Science, NASA
Brenna Cooper
Published 16:21 21 Feb 2025 GMT
Heartbreaking story behind photo of Apollo 1 astronauts having 'pool party' in their space suits
The group's journey to space would never make it off the ground
There's a tragic story behind a seemingly carefree image showing three men in spacesuits floating in a swimming pool.
When we picture the training which NASA astronauts undertake, the first thing which comes to mind is most likely extended periods of time inside zero gravity machines, memorising every aspect of their spacecraft and gruelling physical training.
But it turns out there's a lot whole lot more hoops astronauts must jump through before waving goodbye to the Earth's atmosphere - including spending an afternoon hanging out by a swimming pool in your spacesuit.
The men in the seemingly carefree image would meet a sad ending (NASA)
Taken in June 1966, the photo taken at Ellington Air Force Base in Houston, Texas may look like every space fanatic's dream birthday party, but it was actually a critical part of pre-mission training.
The three men suited up and sat on yellow floats in the image are Gus Grissom, Roger Chaffee and Ed White and they were in the pool that day to practice emergency landing procedures in water.
Astronauts still train in water to this day, but this is now undertaken in training facilities which look a lot less picturesque than Ellington Air Force Base's swimming pool on a summer afternoon.
However, the story of Grissom, Chaffee and White is one which would end in tragedy just six months later.
Apollo 1 crew Gus Grissom, Ed White and Roger Chaffee (Space Frontiers/Getty Images)
What happened to the astronauts onboard Apollo 1?
The Apollo 1 mission was scheduled to launch on 21 February 1967, however, the spacecraft would never reach that date.
During a pre-launch test on 27 January, a devastating fire would break out in the cabin and claim the lives of the three men.
On the day in question, the three men would enter Apollo 1's control module in order to simulate a 'plugs-out test', which would see the spacecraft disconnected from electrical systems on the launch pad and make sure it was ready for launch.
Dressed in their pressurised suits, Grissom, White and Chaffee were strapped into their seats and began working through a checklist as the module's three-part hatch was installed. After the hatch was sealed, all air inside the cabin was replaced by pure oxygen.
It is at this point that the unthinkable happened as the cabin suddenly burst into flames, with the heat inside meaning it was impossible for the men to open the hatch from inside.
The final moments of the three men would be captured in a harrowing audio transmission to ground control.
"Fire," Grissom is believed to shout, before Chaffee can be heard saying: "We’ve got a fire in the cockpit."
The three men can then be heard scrambling inside the cabin before one of them cries out in pain as the flames take hold.
Grissom was 40 years old when he died, White was 36 and Chaffee was 31.
The tragedy would lead NASA to make major changes to future spacecraft, including using a 60/40 oxygen/nitrogen mix in the cabin, removal of flammable materials and a redesigned hatch which opened in seconds.
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