Sunita Williams returns to Earth, but health challenges begin now. Will they be permanent? How space changes the body
ByHT News Desk
Mar 19, 2025 02:00 PM IST
Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore return to Earth after 286 days in space, facing health challenges due to microgravity.
Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore have returned to Earth after spending 286 days in space. However, their troubles may not be over as readjusting to Earth can be difficult due to the damage caused to the human body during space travel.
Sunita Williams along with fellow astronaut Butch Wilmore returned to Earth after a nine-month long stay at the International Space Station(SpaceX via AP)
Sunita Williams along with fellow astronaut Butch Wilmore returned to Earth after a nine-month long stay at the International Space Station(SpaceX via AP)
Sunita Williams' and Barry Wilmore returned to Earth aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, along with astronauts Nick Hague and Alexander Gorbunov. After their capsule splashed down off the coast of Tallahassee, they were both immediately taken for medical tests on reclining stretchers.
Read more:Sunita Williams live updates: Intense physical recovery regimen awaits NASA astronauts
After experiencing microgravity for more than nine months, the rescued astronauts will face some changes to their body as well as added health risks, which could become permanent without proper care and treatment.
Here are a few bodily changes that astronauts are likely to face after an extended stay in space.
Baby feet, loss of bone density and muscle
An astronaut's bones and muscles operate differently in microgravity, and after returning to Earth, it can make it difficult for one to stand, walk or hold things.
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In space, without the weight of the gravity experienced on Earth, the spine elongates, causing a temporary height gain. However, on the flip side, cells that build bone tissue become slower and those which damage bones continue to grow at a normal pace, making bone deterioration faster. Muscles also begin to weaken due to the lack of pull from gravity.
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Every month in space, an astronaut's weight-bearing bones lose one per cent of their density, making them weaker and more brittle. As calluses decrease, and the body become less used to the use of muscles and bone in the legs, astronauts end up developing “baby feet”, a condition that causes you to lose the thick part under your feet, hindering the ability to walk.
Puffy-head bird-legs syndrome
The human heart, brain and circulatory system are also affected due to a prolonged stay in space. In microgravity, fluids from the rest of the body tend to shift upward toward the head.
This fluid redistribution results in facial puffiness, nasal congestion, and increased pressure inside the skull, while the legs experience a loss of fluids. This makes the head appear bigger, while the legs appear smaller and weaker. This phenomenon is called "puffy-head bird-legs syndrome”.
The increase of fluid in the brain can also lead to hearing loss, vision loss and a disorder known as Spaceflight Associated Neuro-ocular Syndrome (SANS) caused by added pressure to the brain.
The heart in space changes from an oval shape to a round shape, and muscle atrophy constricts blood vessels, which causes damage to the circulatory system. The loss of blood volume upon an astronaut's return to Earth, can make it difficult to regulate blood pressure, and cause dizziness, nausea and fainting spells.
While baby feet, facial puffiness, bone density loss etc can be painful and debilitating, recovery is possible with the help of exercise, and medication over time. However, a few permanent changes to an astronauts body pose more serious health risks.
Permanent risks
In space, astronauts are exposed to high levels of radiation from the Sun, which can can cause significant long-term health issues for astronauts, putting them at risk for cancer, degenerative diseases and issues with the central nervous system. In nine months, Sunita Williams would have been exposed to radiation levels equal to almost 270 chest X-rays.
This coupled with bone density loss and lowered immune levels can increase risks of osteoporosis and make recovery difficult as well.
According to a 2019 research case, named the Twins Study, NASA stated that while most genes in the human body reset after returning to Earth, about 7 per cent of them remain disrupted by the experience.
Space travel can also permanently alter many aspects of an astronauts mental health. Due to disturbed sleep cycles and circadian rhythms (internal body clock), isolation and stress, astronauts have an increased risk for mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety as well as cognitive decline.
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