‘Stranded’ NASA astronauts carried away on stretchers after 9-month stay in space takes a toll on their bodies
A doctor and medical team saw them as soon as they touched down
Tom Chapman
It’s the end of an era, as NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore are finally back on Earth. Their supposed eight-day mission to space turned into a 285-day stay on the International Space Station thanks to problems with their Boeing Starliner. Although the Crew-9 return vessel has been docked with the ISS since September 2024, Williams and Wilmore had to wait for the Crew-10 relief crew’s arrival to take over from them and Crew-9’s Nick Hague and Aleksandr Gorbunov.
After a couple of false starts, Crew-10 finally arrived on the ISS on March 16 and shared emotional scenes with Williams, Wilmore, and the rest.
Williams and Wilmore were finally back on Earth (NASA)
Williams and Wilmore had already sent their thanks to President Donald Trump and SpaceX’s Elon Musk, with the pair being vocal about wanting to get the astronauts back as soon as possible. Musk took it one step further and accused the Biden administration of ‘abandoning’ Williams and Wilmore up there for political reasons.
We were told that Williams and Wilmore would make a watery landing off the coast of Florida at 5:57 p.m. EST on March 18, while it was expected they’d be rushed off into a ‘brutal’ recovery regime due to their extended time in space.
With a successful landing on time, Williams and Wimore exited their Dragon craft aboard the Megan rescue vessel but were immediately taken away on stretchers to the private medial quarters.
It was all smiles as Sunita Williams was carried away (NASA)
Although it’s common practice for astronauts to be checked after returning from space, Williams and Wimore’s nine-month stay makes them more susceptible to the long-term side effects.
The current record for the longest time an American astronaut has spent in space belongs to Frank Rubio thanks to his 371-day mission from September 21, 2022, to September 27, 2023.
Still, there’s been much debate about the health of Williams and Wilmore, with the former particularly being in the news due to worries about her appearance. Simply put, the human body isn’t designed to spend long periods in space.
Williams had warned she’d lost the ability to walk properly, while a loss of muscle mass, potential weakening of the heart, and osteoporosis are all other possible side effects.
There’s also the fact that the weightlessness of space can cause the shape of your eyeballs to flatten, which can affect the retina and blood flow, leading to changes in how well they can see.
Perhaps the most concerning is astronauts being bombarded with excess radiation, meaning there’s a potential increase in cancer scares.
Despite being back on Earth, the next few weeks and months are sure to be crucial for Williams and Wilmore. They might think they’ve escaped the glare of the media, but something tells us their story has only just begun.Featured Image Credit: Joe Raedle / Staff / Getty
Published 16:45 12 Mar 2025 GMT
Doctor makes shock admission about what could happen to ‘stranded’ astronauts’ bodies after over 9 months in space
Spending so much time in space is dangerous for your body
Harry Boulton
It’s nearly time for stranded astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to finally return from the International Space Station back to Earth, but one doctor has revealed a shocking admission regarding what happens to their bodies after spending 9 months in space.
The eyes of the world have been fixed on Williams and Wilmore’s strange and arduous trip to the International Space Station (ISS), as what was supposed to just be a simple eight day mission back in June 2024 has continued for over nine months now.
Issues with both their Boeing Starliner and the SpaceX Crew-10 Dragon spacecraft that would allow them to return home have left them ‘stranded’ upon the ISS, and only next week will they finally return back home to their families – something that has been extremely challenging for Williams.
Williams and Wilmore have been ‘stranded’ upon the ISS since June last year (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
While there has been significant debate surrounding the reason for the delay, with SpaceX CEO Elon Musk placing the blame on the former Biden administration for the hold up after US President Donald Trump asked him to ‘go get’ the pair, but the most important thing for now is that their long wait is nearly over.
It’s not all sunshine and roses though, as their return could indicate some major health problems that come as a part of spending such a long time in space.
During their stay on the International Space Station many began to grow concerned about their appearance – Thankfully NASA clarified that everything is fine and there’s nothing to worry about, but there remains a major issue that they’ll both have to power through almost immediately after landing.
Much like the Crew-8 astronauts that returned last October, Williams and Wilmore will have to be immediately admitted to a medical facility on stretchers, in which they will undertake a six-week rehabilitation program in order to regain their strength.
Suni Williams has previously commented on the challenges that she’ll have to face in relearning how to walk, and they’ve both had to undertake rigorous exercises while on board the ISS in order to avoid a dangerous health condition.
Both astronauts will be immediately taken to a medical rehabilitation facility after they land back on Earth (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
In an interview with the Daily Mail, pulmonologist and Air Force veteran Dr. Vinay Gupta has revealed why spending time in space can be dangerous for the health of astronauts:
“The human body needs the Earth’s gravitational pull, and in absence of that, a lot of things are not functioning correctly,” explains Dr. Gupta. “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.”
On top of this, Dr. Gupta has expressed his concerns around the radiation that Williams and Wilmore will have been exposed to, prompting physicians to conduct “:a more proactive strategy for cancer screening,” just to be extra careful.Featured Image Credit: NASA
Published 10:52 18 Mar 2025 GMT
Exact time ‘stuck’ NASA astronauts will touch down on Earth after 9 months in space
The astronauts are finally on their way back after being ‘stranded’ on the ISS
Harry Boulton
After successfully undocking from the International Space Station this morning, we finally have an exact time that ‘stranded’ NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore will land back on Earth after their nine month mission.
Technical delays left Williams and Wilmore ‘stuck’ on board the International Space Station (ISS) for 285 days in what was only supposed to be an 8 day venture.
Not only did the Boeing Starliner ship that they flew to the ISS in suffer issues, meaning that it had to return to Earth unmanned, but the SpaceX rocket that would then allow them to fly back home also fell victim to issues that seemed to persist until moments before takeoff.
Williams and Wilmore departed from the ISS on a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft this morning (YouTube/NASA)
US President Donald Trump has made it a priority to bring the pair back home since returning to office in January, ordering SpaceX CEO and founder Elon Musk to ‘go get’ them both, and both have also insisted that the blame lies with the former Biden administration.
Regardless of these claims though the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket finally made it to the ISS on March 16, allowing the Crew-10 astronauts to undergo the necessary handover process with Williams and Wilmore, allowing them to begin their journey back home.
As reported by Al Jazeera, the Crew-10 Dragon ship finally departed from the International Space Station at 1:05 a.m. EST this morning, as shown in a livestream from NASA on YouTube.
Current estimates indicate that the ship will begin its deorbit burn at around 5:11 p.m. EST, and shortly after it will splash into the ocean off the coast of Florida at roughly 5:57 p.m. EST. (21:57 GMT)Play
It will then take about an hour for the crew – including both Williams and Wilmore alongside Nick Hague and cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov – to be retrieved from the ocean, and the entire process will once again be livestreamed on YouTube, starting at 4:45 p.m. EST.
While the astronauts will understandably be desperate to return to their families, which is something they’ve made clear to be a priority for them, it’s unfortunately going to be a challenging return to normal life after spending so much time in space.
They will be immediately stretchered off to a medical facility where they will spend six weeks in physical rehabilitation. This is due to the dangerous reduction in muscle mass and bone density that living for a lengthy period of time in low gravity causes, as your body – including your heart – has to work far less as it’s not being constantly dragged down.
They will undergo a number of cancer related screenings as a precaution due to the work that Williams and Wilmore conducted surrounding ultrasounds and radiation, as they could be under significant risk.Featured Image Credit: MIGUEL J. RODRIGUEZ CARRILLO / Contributor / Getty
