Sunita Williams return: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore have safely returned to Earth from the International Space Station (ISS). The four-member team, officially part of NASA's Crew-9 rotation mission, touched down off the coast of Florida on Tuesday at 5:57 pm local time (Wednesday, 3:27 am IST). The duo had launched to the space station nine months ago aboard a test flight by Boeing. Now that they are back, here is what exactly lies ahead for NASA astronauts.
Immediate medical assistance
Following the splashdown near Florida, Sunita Williams and her fellow astronauts were carefully helped out of the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule and placed on stretchers for preliminary medical evaluations. This standard procedure is necessary because long-term exposure to microgravity can lead to temporary physical challenges when astronauts return to Earth.
Transfer to Johnson Space Center
The astronauts will be flown to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, where they will stay in crew quarters for several days for extended health assessments. Once cleared by NASA's flight surgeons, they may be allowed to reunite with their families. As part of the mission wrap-up, Williams and her crew are also expected to participate in debriefing sessions to discuss their experiences, challenges, and successes during their prolonged stay in orbit.
Reunion with family and friends
After months away from home, Sunita Williams will finally get a chance to meet her family and friends. However, returning to Earth's gravity will not be easy, as per experts. Astronauts often experience dizziness, nausea, and unsteady walking immediately after landing due to the absence of gravity in space.
Physical challenges after spaceflight
According to a report by news agency PTI, citing Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, astronauts must quickly readjust to Earth's gravity. This can affect their ability to stand, stabilize their vision, walk, or even turn properly. It’s common for astronauts to be seated immediately after landing to help them cope with these sudden physical shifts. NASA stated that it can take astronauts several weeks to fully readapt to life on Earth. One concerning effect of space travel is bone density loss — weight-bearing bones can lose nearly 1% of their density every month in space if not properly managed through exercise and countermeasures, as per NASA.
SpaceX Crew-9 completes mission
NASA's SpaceX Crew-9 completed the agency's ninth commercial crew rotation mission to the International Space Station on Tuesday, splashing down safely in a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft off the coast of Tallahassee, Florida, in the Gulf of America, according to a NASA statement. The Crew-9 mission was the fourth flight of the Dragon spacecraft named Freedom, which previously supported NASA's SpaceX Crew-4, Axiom Mission 2, and Axiom Mission 3. The spacecraft will now undergo inspection and refurbishment at SpaceX's Cape Canaveral facility for future missions.
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