Bizarre reason ‘stranded’ astronauts will have ‘baby-like skin’ once they return to Earth after 9 months
Space is an incredibly different environment for the human body compared to Earth, and that’s why two ‘stranded’ astronauts might find their skin to be ‘baby-like’ upon their return to Earth, alongside countless other changes to their health.
NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore initially went to the International Space Station (ISS) in June 2024 for a short eight day trip, but issues with their Boeing Starliner spacecraft and delays for their return flight have left them ‘stranded’ in space for over nine months now.
Typically astronauts aren’t supposed to stay for longer than six months in space, but technical issues with the SpaceX Crew-10 Dragon expedition scheduled to replace them on board the ISS have left Williams and Wilmore stuck for 282 days and counting.
Williams and Wilmore have spent over 9 months on the ISS, but their return should hopefully be imminent (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
SpaceX was supposed to launch their return flight on Wednesday, but issues persisted causing this to be pushed back once again.
However, while their return back home will be a major relief for both astronauts, it won’t provide the immediate return to normal daily life that you might expect.
The pair will be stretchered to a medical facility as soon as they successfully land, similar to the four Crew-8 astronauts that landed last November, where they will undergo intense physical rehabilitation over the course of around six weeks.
This is due to the countless changes to their body and overall health that come as a consequence of extended stays in space, of which include ‘baby-like’ skin, as reported by The Guardian.
Due to the low gravity nature of existing in space, astronauts clothes typically hover or float slightly above the skin, giving it a heightened level of sensitivity that you only really experience when you’re a baby.
This, in turn, will make clothes back on Earth feel like they’re sandpaper, as your body isn’t used to the contact and roughness of having something constantly resting on your skin.
That’s unfortunately far from the only health worry that Williams and Wilmore will experience upon their return to Earth, as changes in gravity also cause significant and often irreparable bone density loss, alongside considerable muscle loss which can affect your ability to walk and even your heart.
Lack of gravity in space significantly weakens your muscles, as they don’t have to work as hard (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
As gravity isn’t weighing down your muscles your body doesn’t have to work anywhere near as hard, and while this might sound nice in the short term, it weakens your body and becomes a major problem when returning back home.
Scientists have compared extended stays in space to being bedridden or comatose in hospital, and you require major physical rehabilitation in order to return to normal bodily functions, despite the fact that both conducted rigorous daily exercise while on board the ISS.
They also have to worry about the dangers of cancer due to radiation exposure while in space, and one doctor has called for more proactive screenings in these medical facilities in order to avoid dangers that we might not yet expect or understand.
Brutal rehab NASA’s ‘stranded’ astronauts will face upon return to Earth after 9 months in space
Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore were only supposed to be on the ISS for eight days
The elongated saga of Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore could soon be coming to an end, as NASA is finally due to rescue the pair of astronauts. Williams and Wilmore have become the face of space after they were marooned on the International Space Station last year. Although Williams has reiterated they aren’t stranded, their eight-day mission aboard the ISS was massively extended due to a fault with their Boeing Starliner capsule, which forced it to fly back without them.
As the days tick by, Williams and Wilmore have currently been aboard the ISS for 272 days…and counting.
Williams and Wilmore are finally set to be rescued in March 2025 (NASA)
Things are finally wrapping up following calls from President Donald Trump for Elon Musk to go and get them, Musk claiming they were abandoned by the Biden administration, and the world’s richest man calling one famed astronaut an ‘idiot’.
SpaceX’s long-awaited Crew-10 launch is scheduled for March 12, with the dynamic duo finally set to get their feet back on terra firma. After this, there are expected to be some major adjustments to life back on Earth.
Williams has explained the brutal daily regime they’re undertaking in space, involving two hours of exercise to stop help try and combat damage to their bones and muscle.
We already knew there would be a physical toll trying to return to ‘normal’ life, but speaking to DailyMail.com, doctors have explained a little more about what Williams and Wilmore might have to deal with.
As soon as Williams and Wilmore emerge from their capsule, they’re expected to be put on stretchers and rushed away for medical examination.
Dr Vinay Gupta is a pulmonologist and Air Force veteran who claims it could take up to six weeks of brutal regimens to regain their strength.
This will start as soon as they’re back on Earth and initially focus on walking, as well as flexibility and muscle strengthening. The second phase of the 45-day regime involves proprioceptive exercises and cardio reconditioning. The third and final phase is the longest, focusing on returning them to peak physical performance via ‘functional development training’.
It’s nearly time for stranded astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to finally return from the International Space Station back to Earth, but one doctor has revealed a shocking admission regarding what happens to their bodies after spending 9 months in space.
The eyes of the world have been fixed on Williams and Wilmore’s strange and arduous trip to the International Space Station (ISS), as what was supposed to just be a simple eight day mission back in June 2024 has continued for over nine months now.
Issues with both their Boeing Starliner and the SpaceX Crew-10 Dragon spacecraft that would allow them to return home have left them ‘stranded’ upon the ISS, and only next week will they finally return back home to their families – something that has been extremely challenging for Williams.
Williams and Wilmore have been ‘stranded’ upon the ISS since June last year (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
While there has been significant debate surrounding the reason for the delay, with SpaceX CEO Elon Musk placing the blame on the former Biden administration for the hold up after US President Donald Trump asked him to ‘go get’ the pair, but the most important thing for now is that their long wait is nearly over.
It’s not all sunshine and roses though, as their return could indicate some major health problems that come as a part of spending such a long time in space.
During their stay on the International Space Station many began to grow concerned about their appearance – Thankfully NASA clarified that everything is fine and there’s nothing to worry about, but there remains a major issue that they’ll both have to power through almost immediately after landing.
Much like the Crew-8 astronauts that returned last October, Williams and Wilmore will have to be immediately admitted to a medical facility on stretchers, in which they will undertake a six-week rehabilitation program in order to regain their strength.
Suni Williams has previously commented on the challenges that she’ll have to face in relearning how to walk, and they’ve both had to undertake rigorous exercises while on board the ISS in order to avoid a dangerous health condition.
Both astronauts will be immediately taken to a medical rehabilitation facility after they land back on Earth (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
In an interview with the Daily Mail, pulmonologist and Air Force veteran Dr. Vinay Gupta has revealed why spending time in space can be dangerous for the health of astronauts:
“The human body needs the Earth’s gravitational pull, and in absence of that, a lot of things are not functioning correctly,” explains Dr. Gupta. “The reality is, they’re effectively getting a fraction of the sort of exercise that we all take for granted just by walking in [Earth’s] gravity. Invariably, despite them doing all the right things {which I know they are) you’re going to see a decrease in muscle mass and strength – no question.”
On top of this, Dr. Gupta has expressed his concerns around the radiation that Williams and Wilmore will have been exposed to, prompting physicians to conduct “:a more proactive strategy for cancer screening,” just to be extra careful.
Featured Image Credit: NASA
