New pictures of astronauts stranded in space, unable to come back home, raise health concerns

New pictures have been published of the astronauts who have been stranded on the International Space Station for over 150 days, a fact that raises serious health concerns.

Sunita ‘Suni’ Williams, 59, and Barry ‘Butch’ Wilmore, 61, visited the ISS back on June 5th on a mission supposed to last just 8 days. But their spacecraft, the Boeing Starliner had technical troubles including thruster failures and helium leaks.

In effect, the cosmonauts had two choices: return home in the flawed spacecraft or wait for SpaceX’s Dragon capsule to come for them. They waited, and have since been in space.

The released photos of Williams and Wilmore have raised a concern over Williams’s health as she was seen very different from the way she always was. According to a doctor, her cheeks appear sunken, which could happen when one loses a great amount of weight. The doctor has said that she probably is not in danger but does not look healthy.

Williams and Wilmore are set to return to Earth in February 2025 as part of the SpaceX Crew-9 mission. NASA reports that the astronauts undergo regular health check-ups and have stayed in good physical condition. Wilmore expressed gratitude for his time on the ISS, even with some challenges on the spacecraft. He noted that working with new spacecraft often reveals issues that need addressing.

Article Source: ladbible