NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry “Butch” Wilmore finally returned to Earth on Tuesday, March 18, after spending an unexpected nine months stranded in space due to technical failures aboard the Boeing Starliner. Their long-awaited return marks the end of a grueling ordeal, which took a significant toll on their bodies.
Shocking Before-and-After Photos Show Dramatic Effects of Space Travel
Shocking before-and-after images of Sunita Williams, 59, reveal the dramatic impact of prolonged exposure to low gravity. The striking difference in her appearance between June 5, 2024, when she piloted the Boeing Starliner into space, and her return on March 18, 2025, highlights the physical toll of extended space travel.
Williams and Wilmore lost significant muscle mass, as well as their ability to walk, and will now undergo intensive physical rehabilitation to regain their strength. The astronauts must complete a six-week rehabilitation program, which includes rigorous exercise seven days a week to relearn how to walk and recover from the effects of prolonged weightlessness.
Elon Musk’s SpaceX Crew Rescues Stranded Astronauts
Their return to Earth was only made possible after Elon Musk’s SpaceX Dragon capsule was sent to dock with the International Space Station (ISS) and rescue the two stranded astronauts. NASA originally planned for the Boeing Starliner to bring them home, but persistent technical failures left them stranded aboard the ISS.
After 17 hours of flight, Williams, Wilmore, and their two astronaut escorts splashed down off the coast of Tallahassee, Florida, just before 6 p.m. on Tuesday.
NASA broadcasted the entire mission live, and millions around the world watched the dramatic moment the capsule splashed down into the ocean.
Medical Challenges Await Astronauts Back on Earth
The return to gravity comes with severe health risks, as both astronauts suffered from:
- Muscle and bone loss due to prolonged weightlessness
- Loss of smell and taste caused by fluid buildup in their sinuses
- Increased brain fluid retention leading to cognitive and sensory issues
- Risk of blood clots and heart problems as their cardiovascular systems adjust back to Earth’s gravity
- Skin and hair damage due to exposure to space radiation
Once hoisted onto a retrieval boat, a SpaceX medical team and engineers carefully extracted the exhausted astronauts from the tight confines of the Dragon capsule. Williams and Wilmore will spend the next 45 days in NASA’s specialized rehabilitation program, designed to retrain their muscles, rebuild bone density, and restore their balance.
A Harrowing Mission Ends in a Heroic Return
This mission will go down in history as a cautionary tale of the dangers of long-term spaceflight. While their ordeal in space was harrowing, Williams and Wilmore’s resilience serves as a testament to the strength of human endurance in the face of extreme conditions.
As NASA and SpaceX continue to push the boundaries of space exploration, this rescue mission underscores the unpredictable risks astronauts face—and the critical need for reliable spacecraft to ensure their safe return home.