NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore will return to Earth in three weeks, March 16, after a much longer period than expected to be on the International Space Station. The planned 10 days ended up being extended to almost ten months, due to technical issues with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. The couple now will head back home aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft slated to blast off March 12 atop a Falcon-9 rocket at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
When the Crew-10 mission returns, NASA’s operations in low Earth orbit will continue with the current Crew-9 team aboard the ISS. Experts, however, warn that Williams and Wilmore’s homecoming will not be totally easy. After months in a microgravity environment, the astronauts will have to contend with muscle weakness, balance issues and a special phenomenon called ‘baby feet.’
In an interview with a news agency, a former NASA astronaut explained this condition. He said that in weightlessness, astronauts lose the thick calluses on the soles of their feet by prolonged exposure. Chiao emphasized that you basically lose the thick part of your skin, and your feet change a lot when you do not experience regular walking pressure.
When living in space, the human body changes in a number of ways. Apart from foot sensitivity, astronauts normally suffer bone density loss, changes in the heart, and weakened muscles. After their mission, their rehabilitation after therapy requires complete physical therapy to regain strength and mobility.
NASA studies long term effects of space travel on the human body as Sunita Williams and Wilmore prepare for their return. The unplanned extended stay provides insights for how physical and psychological challenges will increase on longer missions for Moon, Mars, and beyond.
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