Astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore experienced a nine-month mission aboard the ISS after their spacecraft malfunctioned. Originally planned for eight days, their duration led to potential long-term health complications due to prolonged exposure to microgravity. This extended time affected their muscles and bones, as the body undergoes severe changes without Earth's gravitational pull. As they return to Earth with fellow astronaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, the challenges of readjustment, both physical and mental, pose significant hurdles after their historic mission while highlighting the challenges of future long-duration space travel.
Astronauts lose muscle mass rapidly because they do not use their legs to support their weight, resulting in significant physical changes after extended missions in microgravity.
Spending months in microgravity is brutal on the body. Without the Earth's gravitational pull, muscles shrink, bones weaken, and bodily fluids shift.
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