NASA astronaut Sunita Williams, 59, has been marooned on the international space station for nearly half a year with her colleague Barry Wilmore, 61. Initially intended as an eight-day mission, the two astronauts were left to their fate after technical mishaps such as thruster failure and helium leaks stopped their Boeing Starliner spacecraft from proceeding further. Although the spacecraft returned to Earth, Williams and Wilmore must wait until February 2025 to get a ride home aboard SpaceX’s Dragon capsule.
Concern mounted last week over the new pictures of her, in which dramatically changed features were noticeable on her face. Pulmonologist Dr. Vinay Gupta said that her sunken cheeks were indicative of calorie deficiency. However, he added that there is no cause for concern as it is not a lethal condition. NASA, though, was swift to relieve people of their anxieties, saying that every astronaut on the ISS takes regular health check-ups, and Williams is in good shape.
According to a source from NASA, aside from Williams, another contender, Wilmore, lost some pounds but, in contrast with Williams, his weight loss was not as visible since he started carrying a more considerable body mass. Nonetheless, the insider claimed that all changes are subjected to the closest scrutiny.
NASA astronaut Sunita Williams issues her health update
Williams herself recently killed the rumors by explaining that, yes, traveling in space does cause physical changes. She mentioned that there is what she called “fluid shift,” which causes astronauts to appear to have larger heads as their bodily fluids redistribute.
While there are claims that she has lost weight because of the space trip, Williams said she maintained her weight and even gained muscle mass. She’s proud of her workout routine, including weightlifting, cycling, and treadmill use which has made her legs and glutes stronger.
NASA remains to check on the health of the astronauts as they get ready for their long wait time in space as Williams and Wilmore’s mission has been pretty unexpected.
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