NASA astronaut reveals how her body changed in space after being stranded there for nine months
- Before their return, the stranded astronauts were stuck in space for ages
- Their nine-month stint on the ISS took a huge toll on their bodies
- Suni revealed the effects that space had on her
Published on Mar 19, 2025 at 8:03 AM (UTC-4)
by Daisy Edwards
Last updated on Mar 19, 2025 at 11:48 AM (UTC-4)
Edited by
Emma Matthews
Everyone was pleased to hear NASA astronauts Sunita “Suni” Williams and Barry “Butch” Wilmore made it back to Earth after being stranded in space on the International Space Station for nine months.
Before she came back down to earth, Suni did an interview with some high school students in Massachusetts about the physical effects being in space for over 240 days.
The stranded NASA astronauts were meant to catch a flight home in February, but the space agency pushed their return flight – until yesterday.
Now they’re back, the physical effects on their bodies will start to wane, and although NASA monitors the astronauts’ health while they’re in space, they must be relieved to be back home.
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The effect of being stranded in space for nine months
Although NASA very carefully tracks its space-dwelling astronauts’ health, Suni and Butch weren’t expecting to spend nine months stranded in the stars.
Before her return, a group students from Massachusetts interviewed Suni while she was still on the Space Station. Specifically, they talked about the long-term effects of living in space on her body.
Turns out that she’d become completely unused to moving and living in the same way. The effect of low gravity means that she stopped walking, lying down, or sitting normally.
Which must be very weird.
The NASA astronauts are home
Now that the astronauts are home, the effects of space should hopefully wear off.
They may have to do a bit of re-adjusting to life back on Earth. But it seems like a lot of that would be practicing being able to lie down and sit normally. So nothing too difficult.
Every month they’ve spent in space, though, will have caused some damage. That includes losing one percent of their bone density and some muscle deterioration.
So the fact that they’re now back to their normal gravity levels will be extremely helpful for their bodies.
It must be awesome to be able to be up in space for that long. But there’s nothing like coming home to your own bed after a long trip, and Suni and Butch probably understand that more than anyone.
Daisy is a technology and automotive journalist covering artificial intelligence, consumer tech, Apple news, cryptocurrency, emerging technologies, and transportation innovation. Since joining the team in 2025, she has reported on everything from AI-powered startups and major iOS updates to viral car stories and the latest developments shaping transportation and the digital economy. Drawing on her background in automotive journalism and a degree in History and Journalism from Goldsmiths, University of London, Daisy specializes in breaking down complex topics into clear, engaging reporting for a global audience. Her work spans cutting-edge technology, innovative vehicles, and the people driving change across both industries. Daisy has gained first-hand access to some of the world's most talked-about technologies and innovators, including meeting Tesla's Optimus humanoid robot during its first European appearance in London. She has also discussed the future of space exploration with an astronaut, bringing unique insights and real-world perspectives to her coverage of emerging technology.
