Final week, media shops like The New York Put up and The Every day Mail claimed that Worldwide Area Station astronaut Suni Williams’ well being was deteriorating — and right this moment, (Nov. 13), comparable conjectures had been made about her fellow ISS inhabitant Butch Wilmore.
In response to the assertions about Williams, each NASA and Williams herself spoke out to verify that she’s superb. Now, in response to these rumors about Wilmore, NASA has chimed in as soon as once more.
“All NASA astronauts aboard the Worldwide Area Station are in good well being,” Dr. J.D. Polk, chief well being and medical officer at NASA Headquarters in Washington, advised reporters in an emailed assertion on Nov. 13. “It is unlucky that rumors persist in any other case.”
Hypothesis about Williams’ well being appears to have been primarily based on latest pictures launched by the company. Dr. Vinay Gupta, a pulmonologist who’s unaffiliated with NASA, prompt to The Every day Mail that the photographs present Williams’ cheeks showing “sunken” and illustrate an individual who has been “experiencing the pure stresses of residing at a really excessive altitude, even in a pressurized cabin, for prolonged durations.” Each this outlet in addition to The New York Put up particularly say Williams appeared “gaunt.” But, throughout a video interview Williams performed aboard the ISS on Nov. 12, she stated, “I am the identical weight that I used to be after I obtained up right here.”
“I may undoubtedly inform that weightlifting, which isn’t one thing that I do on a regular basis, has undoubtedly modified me,” Williams added, referring to a number of the mandated train astronauts carry out whereas residing in microgravity circumstances for prolonged durations of time. “My thighs are a little bit bit larger, my butt is a little bit bit larger,” she stated, although additionally stressing: “I weigh the identical.”
With regard to hypothesis about Wilmore, The New York Put up printed an article right this moment titled “NASA monitoring second stranded astronaut’s attainable weight reduction after elevating alarm about colleague Sunita Williams’ well being.”
Based on the outlet, an unnamed NASA worker who’s “concerned with the mission” stated that Wilmore “has additionally been shedding physique mass.” The supply apparently added that, as a result of Wilmore “had much more mass firstly,” it isn’t “as massive of a deal.” On this article, The New York Put up once more states that Williams appeared “jarringly gaunt” within the launched pictures, and consists of one picture of Williams with a caption claiming that NASA is “working to assist astronaut Sunita Williams placed on kilos after she had vital weight reduction.”
But, Dr. Polk stated within the Nov. 13 assertion that “NASA and our companions have safely performed long-duration missions aboard the orbital laboratory for many years, learning the results of area on the human physique as we put together for exploration farther into the photo voltaic system.”
“Crew well being is commonly monitored by devoted flight surgeons on Earth, they usually have a person weight loss program and health regime to make sure they continue to be wholesome all through their expeditions,” Dr. Polk added.
Additionally it is price noting that it isn’t fairly correct to name Williams and Wilmore “stranded” astronauts; each caught a experience to the ISS on Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft again in June as a part of the capsule’s first crewed flight check (aptly named Crew Flight Check, or CFT). That mission was initially purported to final about 10 days, however as a result of points with Starliner’s propulsion system, it needed to be prolonged. Issues had been definitely in limbo for some time, as NASA did not instantly announce what Plan B was going to be for Williams and Wilmore — a form of limbo that spurred the unique “stranded astronaut” narrative — however a blueprint for his or her return was ultimately put collectively.
They’re slated to come back again to Earth on a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule in February of 2025 alongside the 2 astronauts of the Crew-9 mission — who reached the ISS in September — and NASA has beforehand said that there are greater than sufficient provides onboard the orbiting laboratory to maintain all astronauts till their scheduled return dates. Different ISS dwellers in the mean time embody NASA astronauts Don Pettit and Nick Hague, and Russian cosmonauts Aleksandr Gorbunov, Aleksey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner.
As for the Starliner capsule, it returned to Earth empty on Sept. 6 — and it will not be lengthy earlier than the spacecraft’s crewmembers comply with it house.
