Sunita Williams-Butch Wilmore Homecoming: What Are The Challenges They May Face Once They Return To Earth

The two NASA astronauts, Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, were stranded on the International Space Station owing to some technical glitches with their Boeing Starliner spacecraft. On Saturday, the process to bring Williams and Wilmore back to Earth began with a collaborative mission between NASA and SpaceX.

The entire world celebrates this initiative, however, it is crucial to understand the challenges the two astronauts will face once they return to Earth's gravity. From muscle atrophy to bone density loss and cardiovascular strain, their bodies will have to readapt to Earth's environment after spending months in space.

Speaking on it, Mayank Vahia, Retd. Professor, TIFR told PTI: "First of all, staying in space is not easy, imagine if you have 1000 and 2000 sq/ft housing in which you are locked in there for 9 months with 3 or 4 people. So emotionally it is very draining. Secondly, everyone has their own personalities and characteristics and these are not family these are in some sense strangers. So emotionally it is very taxing physically it is very taxing because there is a lot of work that has to be done. Third taxing comes from the fact that you are in zero gravity."

Astronauts who have travelled on space missions earlier have reported facing difficulty in walking, having bad eyesight, dizziness, and a condition called baby feet where space travellers lose the thick part of the skin on the soles that become soft like a baby's.

According to experts, while living in zero gravity, bones lose density, increasing the risk of fractures. In addition, muscle atrophy occurs due to reduced effort in microgravity, making simple activities like standing and walking surprisingly challenging. Astronauts may also be more susceptible to infection and illness due to a suppressed immune system.

Scientist R C Kapoor said, "When you stay long enough in space, you are facing microgravity all the time because the International Space Station is going around the Earth. When you're inside it, you're also moving with it, so you're in a state of weightlessness. When you are in a weightless state, the problem is that your muscles don't work with that kind of efficiency, and gradually, muscular atrophy starts setting in. Bone density is getting lost because, when we are walking on Earth, we are working on the Earth our body is all time working against gravity so there is sufficient strength in our system and therefore we can sustain ourselves for whatever length of time in life we get." (PTI Video inputs)