Sunita Williams’ Return: How 9 Months In Space Can Change A Human Body Permanently | Explained
After returning to Earth, astronauts do find their physiological systems gradually returning to normal, but there can be some lasting impacts on their bodies
The much-anticipated return of NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore to Earth after spending a nine-month ordeal in space, which was supposed to be a nine-day excursion, has finally happened.
Sunita Williams, 59, and Butch Wilmore, 62, had been stuck on the International Space Station (ISS) due to their faulty Boeing Starliner craft.
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The pair returned to Earth today in the SpaceX dragon capsule, which splashed down off the coast of Florida.
Although both experienced astronauts are not new to the rigours of space travel, but after 270 days in orbit, the low-gravity environment of space will have impacted their bodies.
Let us look at the health concerns of the astronauts.
How Much Time Will They Take To Recover?
British astronaut Tim Peaks, quoted by abc.au, said the astronauts will probably be having “nausea, dizziness and vertigo, and your bones and your muscles are getting used to that loading [of Earth’s gravity] as you stand up and walk around."
It will probably take them two or three months to recover, and “build up all those small muscles in the lower back", Peake said.
Frank Rubio, who has spent 371 days in space, says his first two or three months back on Earth were about “reincorporating" himself back into life and “rehabilitating" his body.
“You adapt incredibly quickly to being in space, but then unfortunately, the re-adaptation process back to Earth can sometimes be a little bit longer and more difficult," he told Time Magazine in 2023.
How Does Being In Space Affect The Human Body?
After returning to Earth, astronauts do find their physiological systems gradually returning to normal, but there can be some lasting impacts on their bodies.
When Rubio returned to Earth in 2023, he told American broadcaster ABC he needed some time to readapt to Earth’s gravity. He also said he would need to rebalance his equilibrium for things like standing upright and walking around.
Muscles: Without any gravity, astronauts’ bone and muscle mass deteriorate quickly in space. The muscles that are the most affected are in the back, neck, calves and thighs. Without a proper diet and exercise routine, astronauts also lose muscle mass in microgravity faster than they would on Earth. A 2021 study published in the Systematic Review journal found that it was not enough to prevent losses in muscle.
Bones: NASA has learned that without Earth’s gravity affecting the human body, weight-bearing bones lose on average 1-1.5% of mineral density during each month of spaceflight. After returning to Earth, bone loss might not be completely corrected by rehabilitation. However, their risk of fracturing is not higher. Spaceflight-induced bone loss can put astronauts at risk of developing kidney stones. This happens when bones break down, calcium can be released into other bodily systems and solidify into kidney stones. Research published in 2022 documented bone loss in 17 ISS astronauts in missions averaging about five and a half months.
Vision: Some astronauts face changes in their eyes and vision during spaceflight called spaceflight associated neuro-ocular syndrome (SANS). Microgravity causes a person’s blood and cerebrospinal fluid to shift towards the head, and researchers suspect that these fluid shifts are an underlying cause of SANS.
DNA: Most genes reset after returning to Earth, but about 7% remain disrupted.
Psychosomatics and Cognition: Radiation may cause brain damage and onset of Alzheimer’s. Space disrupts orientation, causing motion sickness.
Cardiovascular System: Blood circulation slows down and production of red blood cells decreases. Cardiac arrhythmia is common.
How Does The Body Recover On Earth?
Astronauts have to readjust to Earth’s gravity after return, and it takes several months to undo the strain on their bodies.
Even months after landing, not every system in the body recovers. They face long-term health risks, including cancer, nerve damage and degenerative diseases.
When an astronaut arrives from space, his spine returns to normal size and blood pressure normalizes.
After spending one week on Earth, motion sickness, disorientation and balance issues disappear. Sleep returns to normal.
After two weeks, the immune system recovers, and body fluids lost are regained.
In a month, muscle reformation is almost complete and near pre-flight levels. In three months, skin redevelopment is complete. Body mass returns to Earth levels.
The risk of bone fractures remains as well as an increased risk of cancer, as per Al Jazeera.
What Is The Longest Time Astronauts Have Spent In Space?
Russian astronaut Valeri Polyakovv spent 437 continuous days on board the Mir space station.
But NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson holds the record for the most cumulative time in space at 675 days — she has been to space four times.
Rubio holds the record for the longest time spent onboard the International Space Station, having spent 371 days there.
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