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NASA Astronaut Sunita Williams, NASA Astronaut, Bonnie Pandya, Butch Wilmore,
NASA astronaut Sunita Williams maintained a brave front during her extended stay in space, but her family has now revealed the emotional toll it took on her.
Williams’ mother, Bonnie Pandya, disclosed that her daughter was contemplating retirement just weeks before embarking on what was originally planned as a 10-day mission. Instead, she spent an arduous 286 days aboard the International Space Station (ISS), enduring months of uncertainty before returning to Earth.
Longing For The Family
During her prolonged stay, Williams frequently expressed her longing for family and physical affection. In an interview with local news station WCNC, her sister, Dina Annad, shared a private email where Williams wrote: “You forget that in space you’re not holding hands, you’re not hugging people.”
Pandya shared a heartfelt message upon her daughter’s return, saying that while they deeply missed her, staying in touch through communication helped ease the separation. “We missed you a lot, but with you keeping in touch with everybody and all of us, the family, we didn’t miss that much—just enough,” she said.
Sunita Williams’ Grueling Time in Space
Williams, along with fellow astronaut Butch Wilmore, spent nearly 10 months on the ISS. Their mission duration was second only to Frank Rubio’s 371-day stay. The pair finally made their way back to Earth on Tuesday, splashing down off the coast of Florida at 5:57 p.m. ET, before reuniting with their families hours later.
Throughout Williams’ extended mission, concerns about her physical health mounted. Public observers and medical professionals noted that she appeared notably gaunt in photographs from the ISS. Dr. Gupta, speaking to DailyMail.com, explained: “What you’re seeing in that picture is someone experiencing the natural stresses of living at a very high altitude, even in a pressurized cabin, for extended periods. Her cheeks appear a bit sunken, which is usually a sign of total body weight loss.”
Despite these concerns, Williams maintained a resilient and composed demeanor. She even joked about missing space during a press conference on March 4. However, behind the scenes, her family and friends knew she was struggling with the isolation.
Sunita Williams Had a Strong Support System from Earth
Annad shared that Williams’ family and friends worked hard to keep her spirits up while she was in space. They regularly sent her funny stories and jokes to keep her entertained. Her cousin, Falguni Pandya, revealed that they maintained constant communication through video calls, celebrated holidays virtually, and sent her gifts, cards, and photographs. “We are constantly in touch,” Falguni said just two days before Williams’ return. “She talks to her mother almost every day.”
Describing Williams’ personality, Falguni noted that she is a joyful person with a contagious love for laughter. “People have seen her giving speeches and discussing serious scientific topics, but she really loves to laugh. She finds joy in the smallest of things, and it’s very infectious,” she said.
Falguni also mentioned that one of the things Williams was most looking forward to was reuniting with her two pet dogs.
The Long Journey Home
Williams and Wilmore launched into space on June 5 and docked at the ISS a day later. Their return, originally scheduled for June 13, was delayed multiple times due to technical issues with their spacecraft, Boeing’s Starliner. Eventually, NASA opted for a safer alternative, allowing them to return aboard a SpaceX capsule.
Upon landing, Williams emerged smiling and waving before being lifted onto a stretcher for medical evaluations. Steve Stich, manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, assured the public that Williams and Wilmore were “doing great.”
Though experts initially believed it would take a few days before Williams could walk on her own, NASA released images around 2 a.m. ET on Wednesday showing her standing on two feet. However, she appeared visibly frail, with thin wrists and signs of rapid weight loss, muscular atrophy, and potential bone density reduction. Medical professionals also noted the presence of an IV in her wrist, likely to help restore hydration and electrolytes lost due to microgravity’s effects on the body.
The Toll of Space on the Human Body
The physical transformations Williams experienced were stark. Before-and-after images revealed grayer hair, deeper wrinkles, and a noticeably gaunt appearance. Dr. John Jaquish, a biomedical engineer at Jaquish Biomedical, commented on the significant impact of prolonged space travel, saying: “That amount of time in space is crushing.”
Former astronauts have noted that it can take up to 1.5 times the length of a mission to fully recover. If this holds true, Williams and Wilmore may require more than a year to regain their pre-mission strength and well-being.
