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Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore have been stranded at the International Space Station (ISS) for over 150 days after their Starliner spacecraft malfunctioned.
Sunita Williams’ visible weight loss following her long stay in space has evoked concerns. (Photo: X)
Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams is currently stranded with Butch Wilmore at the International Space Station for nearly five months after Boeing’s faulty Starliner spacecraft returned to Earth in September as it was deemed too risky for a crew. However, Williams’ photo showing a drastic weight loss in space has taken the internet by surprise.
Newly released images of the 59-year-old astronaut showed her with a pronounced facial structure and a drastically thinner frame, with sunken cheeks, indicating that she has endured a health crisis due to her prolonged stay in space after the Starliner spacecraft malfunctioned.
“She has lost a lot of weight,” a NASA employee directly involved in the mission told the New York Post. “The pounds have melted off her and she’s now skin and bones. So it’s a priority to help her stabilise the weight loss and hopefully reverse it.”
Sunita Williams went to space on an 8-day mission, but now she has been stuck there for the last 153 days and has become very weakIt has become very difficult for her to come back now pic.twitter.com/JJnELJgKwc
— Kuldeep S Dhillon (@kdeep39) November 8, 2024
ALSO READ: ‘Proud To Be American’: Sunita Williams, Other Astronauts Vote From Space, Post Pic On Election Day
What Do Astronauts Eat In Space?
Astronauts have to eat twice as many calories as the people on Earth due to changes in their metabolisms in space. “They have to eat about 3,500 to 4,000 calories per day, just to maintain their current weight, and when you start falling behind, your weight drops fast,” said the NASA employee.
Scientists use special ways of packaging and eating food in space. There are several categories of food, including freeze-dried food. In this method, astronauts freeze the food and squeeze water into the food packages to dehydrate it. They also consume thermo-stabilised foods like fish or chicken in cans and pouches.
Other foods like nuts, granula bars and cookies are also consumed by astronauts in clear packages, as well as powdered beverages, condiments and desserts. Astronauts eat three times a day to maintain their muscle mass and density. The astronauts also need to exercise for over two hours to maintain their muscle mass and bone density in a zero-gravity environment.
How Long-Term Stay in Space Impacts Astronauts?
Staying in space for a long period of time takes a heavy toll on an astronaut’s health, leading to weight loss, muscle breakdown, bone loss, heart and vision problems as well as kidney stones. By staying on the ISS, Williams and Wilmore are pushing their human boundaries.
Additionally, several NASA studies have determined that the effects of space travel are harsher on women. A 2023 study found that female astronauts lose muscle at a faster rate than their male counterparts.
According to the NASA employee, Williams has been unable to keep up with the high-caloric diets that astronauts need to consume. To put on weight, Williams could have to eat up to 5,000 daily calories, the source told NY Post.
What NASA Said On Williams’ Health?
Williams and her colleague were supposed to be at the ISS for only eight days before the spacecraft malfunction extended their stay. In light of recent concerns over the health of the Indian-origin astronaut, NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate spokesperson Jimi Russell said all astronauts currently stationed on the ISS are in “good health” and are undergoing “routine medical evaluations”.
Russell told Daily Mail that all astronauts are monitored closely by flight surgeons to ensure their health and safety. However, behind the scenes, the American space agency has been scrambling to help Williams after photos of her shocking weight loss shocked the internet.
NASA doctors started working with Williams about a month ago to help her pack on the pounds. Williams and Wilmore are set to return to the Earth on SpaceX’s Crew-9 Dragon capsule, which will not arrive before February 2025. During this time, the astronauts will have microgravity, close quarters and high doses of space radiation.
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Washington D.C., United States of America (USA)