NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry “Butch” Wilmore are finally preparing to return home after being stranded aboard the International Space Station (ISS) for nine months due to a thruster malfunction. But their journey is far from over—Earth’s gravity will feel like an alien force after so long in space.
The challenge of gravity: Learning to walk again
When Williams and Wilmore land on March 19 or 20, they won’t be heading straight home. Instead, they will undergo intensive medical evaluations to assess the toll of prolonged weightlessness.
“I’ve been up here long enough; right now I’ve been trying to remember what it’s like to walk,” Williams admitted in a recent call with students, reported NewsX. “I haven’t walked. I haven’t sat down. I haven’t laid down.”
Doctors estimate it could take up to six weeks for the astronauts to regain their strength, as their muscles and bones have weakened in microgravity.
Radiation exposure: A silent threat
Beyond muscle loss, a more dangerous concern looms—radiation exposure. Without Earth’s protective atmosphere, astronauts face intense cosmic radiation that can penetrate deep into their bodies, increasing the risk of long-term health issues, including cancer.
“We want to take a different approach here, given their unique exposure history,” warned pulmonologist Dr. Vinay Gupta, who emphasized the need for specialized screenings.
A grueling road to recovery
Rebuilding strength and relearning basic movements will happen in three key phases:
- Relearning to walk – Astronauts must retrain their bodies to stand and move under Earth’s gravity.
- Strengthening muscles and the heart – Without gravity, the heart doesn’t have to work as hard, leading to cardiovascular deconditioning.
- Full physical recovery – Regaining balance, endurance, and normal bodily functions.
Only after completing this demanding rehabilitation will Williams and Wilmore be ready to return to normal life.
NASA and SpaceX: Searching for answers
Meanwhile, NASA and SpaceX continue investigating the thruster failure that left the astronauts in limbo. Their return marks the end of one space mission—but the beginning of another: proving that humans can endure the harshest conditions space has to offer.