Explainer
Nine months in space could change your body forever, allowing long-term health effects for astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Willmore.
It was a mission that lasted much longer than planned.
US astronauts Sunita “Sni” Williams and Barry “Butch” Willmore went to space on June 5, 2024 at the Boeing Star Liner Calypso.
However, as the spaceship approached the station, its thrust malfunctioned, and NASA ordered them to stay on the ISS, thinking of a way to get them back.
It lasted nine months, or 288 days, and Williams and Wilmore became two of the longest-serving NASA astronauts in the universe on a single mission.
Who spent the longest time in space?
At an altitude of 354km (220 miles), the average distance from Earth to Mars is 225 million kilometers (140 million miles).
Astronaut Frank Rubio holds the longest space mission record in NASA and has spent more than a year on the ISS.
The comprehensive record of a single spaceflight belongs to Russia’s Valeri Polikov, who spent 437 days at the Mir Space Station.
When did the SpaceX Crew-9 mission return to Earth?
Williams and Wilmore’s SpaceX Dragon Spacecraft jumped off at about 5:57pm (21:57pm GMT) off Florida after locking the ISS in 05:05 GMT.
On board with Wilmore and Williams was Los Cosmos astronaut Aleksandr Gorbunov.
NASA provided live coverage of leads up to splashdown.
Now, back on land, the crew must adapt to returning to Earth, both physically and mentally.
How does living in space harm the body?
It is cruel for the body to spend several months with microgravity. Without pulling the Earth’s gravity, muscles contract, bones become weaker, and body fluids change.
Astronauts use their feet to support their weight, which quickly loses muscle mass. Their bones become fragile and they lose 1% of their bone mass in the month.
Radiation is another major concern. Although the ISS is protected by the Earth’s magnetosphere, astronauts on missions that last for more than six months receive more than ten times more radiation than what naturally occurs on Earth. Prolonged exposure is associated with higher cancer risk and potential cognitive decline.
Weight and Liquid: Astronauts lose about 20% of their body fluids and about 5% of their body fluids in space. Muscle: Microgravity causes muscle atrophy, but exercise for 2 hours a day, 6 days a week, and supplements can reduce muscle loss. Skin: Thin skin, easily shed tears and slowly heal in space. Eye: Microgravity impairs vision, and radiation increases the risk of cataracts. DNA: Most genes are reset after returning to Earth, but about 7% remain destroyed. Psychology and Cognition: Radiation can cause brain damage and the development of Alzheimer’s disease. The universe confuses direction and causes motion sickness. Cardiovascular system: slows blood circulation and reduces red blood cell production. Heart arrhythmia is common. Immune system: It weakens the immune system. Radiation exposure from six months in space is ten times more than annual exposure on Earth. Bone: Skeletal deformation and bone loss can result in 1% of bone mass being lost each month. Astronauts become taller as their spines spread during orbit.
How does the body recover on Earth?
Returning to Earth will not immediately cancel months of tensions over the astronaut’s body. As their bodies rejuvenate to gravity, they experience balance issues, dizziness, and weakening of cardiovascular function.
Not everything will recover even in the months after landing. They face long-term health risks, including cancer, nerve damage and degenerative diseases.
Arrival from Space: The spine returns to its normal size. Flattening is no longer an issue, and blood pressure will normalize. A week later: Motion sickness, disorientation and balance issues disappear. Sleep will return to normal. Two weeks later: Your immune system will recover and your body fluids will recover. Red blood cell production returns to normal. A month later: Muscle reform is almost complete, close to pre-flight levels. Three months later: Skin redevelopment has been completed. Weight returns to global level and no longer exists any vision problems. Six months later: The increased risk of bone fractures and cancer continues. 93% of the genes return to normal, but 7% remain confused.
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