NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore will return to Earth by March 16 after their extended time on the International Space Station (ISS). Because of technical issues with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, their mission that was only set to last for ten days actually took nearly ten months.
On March 12, the SpaceX Dragon crew vehicle, which will return them to Earth, will be launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard a Falcon-9 rocket. The present Crew-9 mission on the flying laboratory will be replaced by four NASA crew members as part of the Crew-10 mission when the Dragon spacecraft is launched.
Not an easy return
Before they return, specialists have indicated that it will not be a routine homecoming. Williams and Wilmore will struggle to readjust to the gravity of Earth.
In an interview with NewsNation Prime, Leroy Chiao, a retired NASA astronaut, described the difficulties. According to him, astronauts develop ‘baby feet’ following long-duration space travel. “You basically lose the thick part of your skin,” stated Chiao, stressing that weightlessness causes foot calluses to diminish.
Human feet, or the soles, are perhaps the most bizarre consequence of living in environments that are nearly weightless. Moreover, dizziness and nausea are other side effects that astronauts encounter after returning home.
“To me, it’s sort of like having the flu. It takes a couple of weeks to be normal,” he said.
Astronaut’s Body Takes Weeks to Adapt
Astronaut Terry Virts compared the feeling to the flu. “I felt very heavy and very, very dizzy,” he said. Body takes weeks to adapt after returning from space. Williams and Wilmore were originally meant to remain on ISS for their eight-day mission. However, they stayed on ISS after problems in Boeing Starliner spacecraft.
Their extended stay caused concerns about their health and even raised political debate. US President Donald Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk criticized the Biden administration for delaying their return.
