{"id":2113,"date":"2026-01-04T15:23:56","date_gmt":"2026-01-04T12:23:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/eng\/?p=2113"},"modified":"2026-02-24T18:49:30","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T15:49:30","slug":"the-process-of-astronauts-adapting-to-earths-gravity-after-a-long-stay-in-space","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/eng\/2026\/01\/04\/the-process-of-astronauts-adapting-to-earths-gravity-after-a-long-stay-in-space\/","title":{"rendered":"The process of astronauts adapting to Earth’s gravity after a long stay in space"},"content":{"rendered":"

When astronauts return from extended stays in space, they are often removed from their capsules and placed on stretchers. Astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, stranded in March 2025, were no exception. The effects of long-term spaceflight on the human body are an area of \u200b\u200bactive research. The current record for the longest continuous stay in space belongs to Russian cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov, who spent 437 days\u2014just over 14 months\u2014aboard the now-defunct Mir space station in 1994 and 1995.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

On March 18, 2025, NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico in a SpaceX capsule, ending a more than nine-month stay in space that was originally planned for just a few weeks. When the capsule finally opened, the astronauts were carried out of the spacecraft and loaded onto stretchers.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

As experts told Live Science, the astronauts were not sick or injured; the reason for this procedure has nothing to do with Williams and Wilmore’s specific mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS), but is simply a matter of protocol that all astronauts must follow.<\/span><\/p>\n

When astronauts return to Earth from space, they cannot immediately begin walking after landing. This is due to temporary changes in the body that occur in space, and NASA takes this into account by implementing strict safety measures.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\nAstronaut Frank Rubio is moved to a medical tent shortly after returning to Earth following a 371-day mission aboard the International Space Station. Rubio holds the record for the most consecutive days spent in space by an American astronaut. NASA\/Bill Ingalls<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

“A lot of them don’t want to be carried out on a stretcher, but they’re told that’s what they have to do,” John DeWitt, director of applied sports science at Rice University in Texas and a former senior scientist at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, where he developed methods to improve astronaut health during spaceflight, told Live Science.<\/span><\/p>\n

Just as humans might experience motion sickness in a car or airplane, astronauts might experience dizziness and nausea upon returning to Earth. This is why astronauts are usually carried out on stretchers after landing as a precaution.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

This temporary sensation occurs because our bodies are designed to utilize the constant force pulling us toward Earth\u2014gravity. However, orbiting space stations like the ISS are in a constant free fall toward our planet, which creates a feeling of weightlessness for astronauts and helps their bodies adapt to the changing conditions.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to DeWitt, a significant change occurs in the vestibular system of the inner ear, which is critical for maintaining balance. In space, this system learns to ignore certain sensory cues as the brain adapts to weightlessness. Therefore, when astronauts return to Earth and experience gravity again, they begin to readjust again, which can temporarily cause “space sickness.”<\/span><\/p>\n

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\nSunita Williams waves after being loaded onto a stretcher as part of standard safety procedures. Williams returned to Earth from the ISS along with three other astronauts on March 18, 2025. NASA<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Another change experienced by astronauts, especially those who spend long periods in space, is the gradual loss of muscle and bone mass. While walking on Earth is usually sufficient to maintain muscle strength thanks to gravity, astronauts in space don’t need to use their muscles as much. Over time, inactivity leads to muscle weakening and atrophy, leading to a condition known as muscle atrophy.<\/span><\/p>\n

To counter these and other effects associated with spaceflight, astronauts who spend long periods in space, including Williams Wilmore, follow a rigorous daily exercise regimen using a suite of equipment aboard the station.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

Williams and Wilmore were part of the Crew-9 mission, along with NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Gorbunov, who returned to Earth aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft on March 18, 2025. Their return marked the end of an unexpected nine-month stay for Williams and Wilmore after the Boeing Starliner capsule they were launched on experienced several problems during the flight to the ISS, including engine malfunctions and a leak, forcing NASA to return the spacecraft to Earth empty.<\/span><\/p>\n

The effects of long-term spaceflight on the human body are an area of \u200b\u200bactive research. Currently, the record for the longest continuous stay in space belongs to Russian cosmonaut Valery Polyakov, who spent 437 days\u2014just over 14 months\u2014aboard the now-defunct Mir space station in 1994 and 1995.<\/span><\/p>\n

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams returned to Earth in March 2025 after more than nine months in orbit aboard the International Space Station. Their stay in space following their launch on June 5, 2024, was unexpectedly long: the mission was scheduled to spend nearly a week on the ISS. However, due to problems with the Boeing Starliner’s flight to the ISS, the return trip was postponed. In November, NASA’s chief medical officer was forced to refute tabloid rumors about the astronauts’ deteriorating health.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

However, as NASA reports, this extended mission isn’t the first time astronaut crews have spent longer in space than planned. As NPR reports, both Wilmore and Williams were assigned to “extended stay” status early in the mission to ensure access to the station’s crew medical system. The astronauts are also undergoing “comprehensive rehabilitation.”<\/span><\/p>\n

How the recovery process worked for Wilmore and Williams, and other astronauts returning from space.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

After landing, Wilmore and Williams’ capsule met recovery and medical teams, who transported them to the Johnson Space Center in Houston. There, according to NASA, they underwent a “gradual 45-day post-mission recovery program.” During this time, the crew underwent medical examinations and performance testing, participated in research, and completed a “structured recovery program.”<\/span><\/p>\n

They spent two hours each day with trainers, working on a personalized recovery plan to return to their pre-mission fitness levels, NASA said.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Typically, the physiological systems of most crew members are restored within this period of time,” the agency said.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\nIn this promotional image provided by NASA, support teams work on the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft shortly after its landing with NASA astronauts Nick Hague, Suni Williams, and Butch Wilmore, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Gorbunov aboard on March 18, 2025, off the coast of Florida. Keegan Barber\/NASA<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Leland Melvin, who flew to the ISS twice in 2008 and 2009 (the latter mission with Wilmore), said he was back to normal after a month at home. He was part of NASA’s astronaut group 17 along with Williams and, according to NASA, has logged more than 565 hours in space. He is also the author of the children’s book “Space Hunters.” However, he was not allowed to drive for a week to avoid the risk of passing out or falling while driving.<\/span><\/p>\n

And at some point, while he was still getting used to life on Earth, he forgot that he could no longer fly.<\/span><\/p>\n

“I was lying in bed. I needed to go to the bathroom, and I just started pushing off with my back, thinking, ‘I’ll swim to the bathroom.’ The light went out, and I pushed off and rolled out of bed,” he says.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dr. Natasha Chow, a NASA flight physician and associate professor of aerospace medicine at the University of Texas Medical Branch, oversees crew medical care before, during, and after missions. According to her, one of the first ailments she identifies in astronauts upon their return is motion sickness.<\/span><\/p>\n

“In zero gravity, your inner ear kind of shuts down,” Chow tells NPR. “So when you experience gravity again, it can be a little disorienting.”<\/span><\/p>\n

The inner ear contains the vestibular system, which consists of sensory organs responsible for balance. In zero gravity, the vestibular system receives mixed signals, making it difficult to determine the direction of up or down.<\/span><\/p>\n

Melvin says he had to walk a certain way during his recovery to help his vestibular system readjust.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

“You’re walking straight, and then you start to turn. You start to turn, and your vestibular system completely shuts down, and you can just fall over,” Melvin tells NPR. “So you’re walking straight, and then you turn. And then you’re walking straight, and then you turn.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Although astronauts receive medical care from onboard physicians after returning from space, a full-fledged campaign is required to support crews even before the mission’s completion. There are teams that develop a pre-flight nutrition plan for astronauts, doctors who monitor their health during their time on the ISS, and those who help them adapt to family life.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\nAstronauts Leland Melvin, STS-129 mission specialist, and Butch Wilmore, pilot, work on the aft deck of space shuttle Atlantis during the second day of flight, November 17, 2009. NASA\/JSC\/NASA.gov<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

“Not only flight surgeons, but also planners, nurses, instructors, psychologists, scientists, radiation specialists, toxicologists, audiologists, and other specialists work together at various stages of the mission to optimize the health and safety of the crew,” says Chow.<\/span><\/p>\n

Space travel also poses a number of health risks, including exposure to cosmic radiation. Furthermore, low gravity can weaken bones.<\/span><\/p>\n

“We make sure to monitor muscle mass and bone mineral density before and after a flight because weightlessness is what I call a ‘use it or lose it’ environment,” says Dr. Chow. “If you don’t exercise regularly during the flight, your body won’t expend energy on maintaining muscle and bone.”<\/span><\/p>\n

To combat this, astronauts aboard the ISS perform two and a half hours of strength and cardio training daily. This also helps minimize the loss of bone and muscle mass.<\/span><\/p>\n

Melvin, who was an athlete and NFL player before becoming an astronaut, says he did strength training in preparation for spaceflight and trained on the ISS.<\/span><\/p>\n

The effects of space travel, especially long-term ones, on the body are still being studied. In a study conducted on twin astronauts Mark and Scott Kelly, scientists found that Scott temporarily grew five centimeters taller during his time on the ISS.<\/span><\/p>\n

Chronic weightlessness can also cause fluids, such as blood, to rush to the head, leading to swelling of the brain and flattening of the back of the eye\u2014both factors contributing to the development of spaceflight-associated neuroocular syndrome. According to NASA, some astronauts who develop this condition experience mild changes, while others may experience “significant consequences.” The long-term effects of these changes are unknown.<\/span><\/p>\n

Melvin says astronauts are studying the risks associated with spaceflight. He says he feels healthier after his spaceflight because he gained “a new perspective on what it means to be human.”<\/span><\/p>\n<\/i> Comment on Facebook* The owner of the Meta company is recognized as extremist in Russia and is banned.<\/span><\/a>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When astronauts return from extended stays in space, they are often removed from their capsules and placed on stretchers. Astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, stranded in March 2025, were no exception. The effects of long-term spaceflight on the human body are an area of \u200b\u200bactive research. The current record for the longest continuous stay in space belongs to Russian cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov, who spent 437 days\u2014just over 14 months\u2014aboard the now-defunct Mir space station in 1994 and 1995.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2114,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[151,993,546,40],"tags":[972,956,955,973],"class_list":{"0":"post-2113","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-geliobiology","8":"category-astrobiology","9":"category-earthsorbit","10":"category-kosmos","11":"tag-adaptation","12":"tag-long-term-flight","13":"tag-microgravity","14":"tag-weightlessness"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2113","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2113"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2113\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2212,"href":"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2113\/revisions\/2212"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2114"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2113"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2113"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2113"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}