Regarding the physical side effects, one of NASA’s astronauts who is stuck on the ISS has shared some amazing information.
Sunita “Suni” Williams and Barry “Butch” Wilmore have been trapped in space for more than 230 days, continuing the tragic tale of the stranded NASA astronauts. In June 2024, the two took off on the Boeing Starliner’s first crewed flight; however, because of technical difficulties with their craft, it was returned unmanned, leaving them stranded on the ISS.
Although Williams and Wilmore have been getting along well with other ISS crew members, they never imagined spending so much time in the stars.
Having been in space for 243 days, Williams acknowledges that she has experienced some negative consequences. It’s not as easy as sending an Uber up to retrieve the stranded astronauts, but Elon Musk and Donald Trump have even been formulating a plan to do so.
Because of her’shocking’ weight loss and health concerns, Williams has been making headlines.
In a candid interview, Williams claims that she is no longer able to carry out basic body functions. The astronaut told students at Needham High School in Massachusetts: “I’ve been up here long enough, and I’ve been trying to remember what walking feels like right now. I haven’t gone for any walks. I haven’t taken a seat. I have not yet to lay down.
The situation for Williams and Wilmore is expected to deteriorate over time. Unless they take precautions, astronauts are said to lose about 1% of their bone density each month in space, and microgravity also causes muscle deterioration.
SpaceX’s Crew-9 spacecraft was scheduled to transport the stranded astronauts home in February, but NASA rescheduled that date in December 2024.
No record will be broken, of course, by Williams and Wilmore’s prolonged spaceflight. With 878 days in orbit throughout the years, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko is no stranger to the stars.
Williams and Wilmore had no idea they would be on the ISS for so long, despite NASA closely monitoring astronauts’ health and ensuring they participate in routine medical exams. Because of how long they’ve been there, they even had to spend an unplanned Thanksgiving in space.
There is no rush, despite Musk and Trump’s aspirations to bring the astronauts back. The President said in a post on Truth Social: “I have just requested Space X and Elon Musk to ‘go collect’ the two courageous astronauts who have been essentially left in space by the Biden Administration.
On the Space Station, they had been waiting for several months. Elon will be arriving soon. I hope everyone will be safe. Good luck, Elon.
NASA has indicated that work is now being done: “After careful consideration, the team determined that launching Crew-10 in late March, following completion of the new Dragon spacecraft, was the best option for meeting NASA’s requirements and achieving space station objectives for 2025.”
