Credit: NASA & WVLT
Astronaut Who Was Stuck In Space For Nine Months Facing Major Health Issue
The wife of NASA astronaut Barry Wilmore has revealed the major health issues her husband is struggling with since returning to Earth.
Wilmore and fellow astronaut Sunita Williams returned to Earth after being on the International Space Station for nine months.
What was supposed to be an eight-day mission became a much longer stay than anticipated.
The crew launched aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft in June, but technical issues stopped them from returning home.
On March 18, Wilmore and Williams splashed back down off the coast of Tallahassee, Florida, inside a SpaceX Dragon capsule.
Despite returning safely to Earth after nine months, the crew members now face serious health complications from their time in space.
Williams and Wilmore were in space three months longer than a normal mission on the ISS.
The time the astronauts spent in low gravity will have significantly affected their bodies, including major muscle and bone loss.
Even though the crew exercised for two hours every day, the prolonged period in space means it may be harder for their bodies to recover.
When the Starliner crew landed, they were unable to stand or lift their limbs due to the weight of the Earth’s gravity.
The astronauts were quickly put onto stretchers and taken away for standard medical checks.
They then flew to NASA’s Johnson Space Station in Houston, Texas, for further medical assessments.
Medical experts expressed concern for Williams’ physical health after photographs showed her ‘visibly thin’ wrists, which could be a sign of rapid muscle wasting and bone deterioration.
Wilmore, his wife Deanna, and their two daughters, Daryn and Logan, were reunited hours after returning from space.
They watched from mission control as the Dragon capsule landed. Deanna told the Tennessee news station WVLT 8 that when they reunited, there was ‘not a lot of talking, just a lot of hugging and enjoying the moment.’
His 19-year-old daughter Daryn shared online ‘It’s rough,’ but that her dad is a ‘trooper.’
During the nine months Wilmore spent away, he missed various special occasions, including birthdays, his 30th wedding anniversary, and Christmas.
His return means he can attend his daughter Logan’s high school graduation in about a month, and the family is discussing taking a trip this summer to celebrate.
However, Deanna told the news station a difference she’s noticed in her husband since his return to Earth.
She shared: “Barry does say gravity is not his friend right now. And you know the stamina is not there, and so they do have to rest and relax quite a bit because they’re just not strong yet.”
His wife also revealed that since coming home, Wilmore has mostly been resting and is spending lots of time on the couch watching March Madness.
Although there are still concerns over the two astronauts’ health, photos of the pair taken at NASA’s Johnson Space Station showed them walking around.
Experts say that Williams and Wilmore walking less than 24 hours after returning is a promising sign as there had been fear they may not regain that ability for days.
Related Article: Bizarre Reason Astronaut Grew Two Inches Taller After 340 Days In Space
Related Article: NASA Astronaut Reveals The Shocking Truth He Learned After Seeing Earth From Space
Want more stuff like this?
Get the best viral stories straight into your inbox!
