NASA explained astronauts experience loss of bone density due to the absence of a gravitational force
As NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore go on with their lives after being stranded in space for over nine months, several social media users have pointed out noticeable physical changes in their bodies. Some have raised concerns about Williams’ ‘deformed’ and ‘extended’ chin. Doctors have now explained why the two look different.
Physical changes after space mission
Sunita Williams and Wilmore returned to Earth last week after a months-long mission at the International Space Station. Their original trip was intended to last just eight days. Upon landing off the Florida coast, Williams appeared ‘thinner and exhausted.’
Social media users quickly noted changes in her chin. “It’s been a few days since the astronauts Barry ‘Butch’ Wilmore and Sunita Williams returned to Earth. But has anyone else noticed there’s nothing or hardly anything being reported about Barry? It’s all about Sunita Williams’s health and her ski slope chin,” one user questioned on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Experts weigh in
Addressing these concerns, pulmonologist and Air Force veteran Dr. Vinay Gupta told MailOnline: “I don’t think people realize that you need gravity to exercise your muscles, and if you don’t have gravity, your muscles have nothing to have resistance against.”
NASA has explained that astronauts experience a loss of bone density due to the absence of gravity. Muscle atrophy is another health issue that both Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore may have faced.
Dr. John Jaquish further elaborated, stating: “Without gravity, you don’t digest food as well. Compromising your ability to digest food is certainly going to contribute to muscle loss and bone loss on its own.”
Former NASA astronaut Leroy Chiao also warned about a condition known as ‘baby feet.’ In an interview with NewsNation Prime, he noted that Sunita Williams might experience difficulty walking.
“You basically lose the thick part of your skin,” Chiao explained.