It’s been seven months since Nasa astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams left Earth. The pair embarked on the first-ever crewed flight of Boeing’s Starliner, and expected to only be in space for just eight days. But, their short trip was unexpectedly extended following a slew of problems, including fuel leaks on the Starliner.
In September last year, it was ruled the spacecraft could not be trusted to safely bring the astronauts back to home, meaning it left the International Space Station (ISS) without them. Due to delays in the next crew scheduled to take over operations in the ISS, originally slated for February, it’ll be at least two more months until Butch and Suni return to Earth. So far they have missed the General Election (although they were able to vote from space), Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
The duo have remained in high spirits, stating they don’t ‘feel like castaways’ in a recent press briefing, and that they have ‘to get stuff done’ before they come back. However, a space expert has warned they could be in for a terrifying shock when they return home unless they do one specific thing…
Kirsty Lindsay is a post-graduate researcher at Northumbria University who spent two years at the European Space Agency, where she worked on human spaceflight programs. Her current research explores maintaining astronaut health and applying these insights to clinical care on Earth. Speaking exclusively to the Mirror, Kirsty warned that being in space for a long duration can wreak havoc on the body.
“Floating in weightlessness means we don’t need to use our muscles or bones, causing them to gradually weaken,” she explained. “As well as losing muscle and bone mass, general fitness can reduce, and so can blood volume.”
Of course, this isn’t a problem for astronauts while they’re actually in space – as there are ‘adaptations’ that will be put in place. “However when the astronauts return to Earth, and gravity starts to pull them downwards again this can cause problems,” the expert added. “The low blood volume can cause dizziness and fainting, with female astronauts particularly at risk in the first few days after their return.”
Once back on Earth, astronauts such as Butch and Suni will have a period of ‘reconditioning exercise and training’. This will usually last for around 45 days. To stay ‘strong and healthy’, the pair will be taking part in ‘daily exercise sessions using resistance training on the Advanced Resistive Exercise Device, or ARED, and cardiovascular exercise using a cycle ergometer and treadmill’.
“These exercise sessions are undertaken almost every day,” Kirsty said. “The astronauts have a medical team on Earth monitoring them, including flight surgeons, nurses, and exercise specialists.”
Of course, astronauts will also be required to follow daily exercise sessions while they’re in space, using resistance training on the Advanced Resistive Exercise Device, or ARED, and cardiovascular exercise using a cycle ergometer and treadmill. “The astronauts have a medical team on Earth monitoring them, including flight surgeons, nurses, and exercise specialists,” Kirsty added.
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