'Gravity Stinks': Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore Completely Recover After Return From ISS
Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore returned to Earth from ISS after Boeing's Starliner glitch. They completed rehab and are now with Boeing and NASA.
Indian-origin Nasa astronaut Sunita Williams and her teammate Butch Wilmore who returned to Earth from International Space Station (ISS) after months of delay, have finished physical therapy whilst increasing their engagement with Boeing and Nasa initiatives.
The duo were stuck in ISS due to technical glitch in Boeing's Starliner capsule.
'Gravity stinks for a period, and that period varies for different people, but eventually you get over those neurovestibular balance type of issues," Wilmore added.
Both the astronauts, who initially planned an eight-day Starliner test flight that went on for next nine months in space, had to go through a standard 45-day readjustment period to reacclimatise their muscles, balance and basic terrestrial functions.
While carrying out their duties with Boeing's Starliner programme, Nasa's space station division in Houston and agency researchers, the astronauts have spent a minimum of two hours daily with Nasa's medical team for strength and conditioning.
While speaking to Reuters, Williams, 59, discussed how her daily life on Earth was affected due to her extended space travel.
'It's been a little bit of a whirlwind," Williams told Reuters, adding, 'Because we also have obligations to all of the folks that we worked with."
Williams mentioned that her post-spaceflight recovery was gradual and she experienced fatigue during later recovery stages as various muscles in her body reactivated themselves. The spaceflight-induced change impacted her early morning routine on ground until recently.
'Then I'm up at four in the morning, and I'm like, Aha! I'm back," she added.
Wilmore also talked about his pre-flight neck and back difficulties, including limited head rotation. He said all these issues vanished when he was in space's weightless environment but he experienced them again upon returning.
'We're still floating in the capsule in the ocean, and my neck starts hurting, while we still hadn't even been extracted yet," he said, laughing.
The human body which is used to surviving and evolving on Earth, faces various challenges when in space. Especially, the challenges due to zero gravity. It causes various physical changes like muscle deterioration and cardiovascular alterations.
Additional factors like confined spaces and increased solar radiation contribute significantly in affecting the body.
For the unversed, Starliner's tech issues, Nasa had to bring back the capsule without crew and integrate the astronauts into regular ISS rotation. Boeing has incurred $2 billion in development charges, with Nasa considering another uncrewed flight before human missions resume.
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May 29, 2025, 15:57 IST
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