Update issued on stranded astronaut after major appearance change while stuck in space sparks concern
Britt Jones
Featured Image Credit: NASA
Another update has been shared on the astronaut stuck in space after she sparked concern over her appearance.
Sunita 'Suni' Williams, 59, has been stranded in space for nearly half a year with her NASA colleague Barry 'Butch' Wilmore, 61.
Even though it was only supposed to be an eight-day trip, they ended up stranded on the International Space Station (ISS) after their spacecraft, the Boeing Starliner, experienced technical problems such as thruster failures and helium leaks.
While the spacecraft has since returned to Earth, Williams and Wilmore have to wait until February 2025 to hitch a ride back on SpaceX’s Dragon capsule.
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After new photos of the pair were published, people quickly became concerned over Williams' health.
Pulmonologist Dr Vinay Gupta told the Daily Mail: “I think what I can discern by her face and her cheeks being sunken in is that [she] has probably been at a significant [calorie] deficit for a while.
“Based on what I'm at least seeing in the photo, I don't think she's quite at a... place where I say her life's in danger.
“But I don't think you can look at that photo and say she has sort of healthy body weight.”
However, in a statement to LADbible Group, NASA said: "All NASA astronauts aboard the International Space Station undergo routine medical evaluations, have dedicated flight surgeons monitoring them, and are in good health."
According to The New York Post, a NASA employee, who is said to be involved in the mission, claimed that Wilmore has also been losing weight but Williams' condition is more apparent.
They explained: “He had a lot more mass at the start, so it’s not as big of a deal. But it’s happening, and it’s being monitored. Any changes in the astronauts’ bodies are being noted. And his mass seems to have gone down.”
The NASA insider added: “Everything is unexpected. None of this was anticipated. They were supposed to be there for a week, and now it’s going on six months. They should be home by now and we should be focused on other things. It’s all very unpredictable.”
Williams herself has since spoken out about the speculation.
Speaking to New England Sports Network Clubhouse on 12 November, she explained: “There’s a lot of changes that go on up here.
“But it’s funny, I think there’s some rumours around out there that I’m losing weight and stuff. I’m actually right at the same amount.”
The astronaut revealed that she'd actually built muscle during the trip, adding: “I think things shift around quite a bit. You’ve probably heard of a fluid shift, where folks in space, their heads look a little bigger because the fluid evens out along the body.
“But Butch and I have been up here for a number of months, we’ve been on the workout gear. We’ve got a bike, we got a treadmill and we got weightlifting equipment.
“And I could definitely tell that weightlifting - which is not something I do all the time - has definitely changed me. My thighs are a little bigger, my butt is a little bigger, we do a lot of squats.”
Dr JD Polk, chief health and medical officer at NASA Headquarters in Washington, has reiterated: “All NASA astronauts aboard the International Space Station are in good health.
“It’s unfortunate that rumours persist otherwise. NASA and our partners have safely conducted long duration missions aboard the orbital laboratory for decades, studying the effects of space on the human body as we prepare for exploration farther into the solar system. Crew health is regularly monitored by dedicated flight surgeons on Earth, and they have an individual diet and fitness regime to ensure they remain healthy throughout their expeditions.”