NASA recently addressed rising concerns regarding astronaut Sunita Williams’ health, assuring the public that all crew members aboard the International Space Station (ISS) are “in good health.”
Jimi Russell, spokesperson for NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate, told the Daily Mail that NASA astronauts on the ISS receive regular medical check-ups and are continuously monitored by assigned flight surgeons to ensure their well-being.
NASA Claims Sunita Williams Is In Good Health
This statement follows reports suggesting that Williams might be experiencing health challenges due to her extended stay on the ISS. A recent photo of Williams making a pepperoni pizza circulated on social media, sparking concerns due to her seemingly leaner appearance.
A pulmonologist based in Seattle observed that Williams appears “gaunt” in the image, noting that her sunken cheeks may indicate weight loss, possibly from a sustained calorie deficit due to the physiological demands of long-term space living.
Williams and her colleague Barry Wilmore have been aboard the ISS since June, extending their stay due to an unexpected malfunction of the Starliner spacecraft, originally planned as an eight-day mission. Their return to Earth is now scheduled for February.
NASA recently hospitalized an astronaut from the Crew-8 mission following an extended eight-month deployment on the ISS. Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, Jeanette Epps, and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin were taken to Ascension Sacred Heart Pensacola in Florida for post-mission medical evaluations.
One astronaut was kept under observation as a precaution, though NASA withheld specifics to maintain the crew member’s medical privacy.
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 weak
It has become very difficult for her to come back now pic.twitter.com/JJnELJgKwc
— Kuldeep S Dhillon (@kdeep39) November 8, 2024
When Is Sunita Williams Returning To Earth?
NASA astronaut Sunita Williams is now set to return to Earth in February 2025 aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft.
Original Plan
Initially, Williams was supposed to complete her journey back to Earth on Boeing’s Starliner, but the mission was extended following technical challenges.
Starliner Issues
The Starliner encountered issues, including helium leaks and malfunctions in its control thrusters. For safety reasons, NASA opted to bring the spacecraft back without any crew on board.
Return via SpaceX Dragon
Williams will now be joined by NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov on the return journey aboard SpaceX’s Dragon.
Expedition 71/72 Crew
Until their departure, Williams and fellow astronaut Butch Wilmore will continue their responsibilities as part of the Expedition 71/72 team.
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