Stranded astronaut forced to address concern over major appearance change while stuck in space
A stranded astronaut has issued a statement after social media users voiced concern over her appearance.
Sunita Williams, 59, has been stranded in space with fellow astronaut Barry 'Butch' Wilmore for over five months.
Although the pair initially took off on an eight-day trip, they've been stuck on the International Space Station (ISS) for five months after their aircraft, the Boeing Starliner, experienced technical problems.
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The capsule - which launched them into space and was supposed to bring them home - experienced thruster failures and helium leaks, leaving the team stranded on the ISS.
The aircraft has since returned to Earth empty after it was deemed too risky for the astronauts to safely travel home.
Williams and Wilmore, meanwhile, will be getting a ride home on SpaceX’s Dragon capsule, which is expected to depart the ISS in February.
Of course, spending so many months in space can take its toll both mentally and physically, and down on Earth, people have become concerned over Williams' health in recent photos.
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.”
Following the concerns, Williams herself has spoken out, addressing people's worries.
Speaking with the New England Sports Network Clubhouse on Tuesday (12 November), she said: “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.”
Williams also explained 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.”
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."
Lucy Devine