Sunita Williams is back home, but Earth won’t feel like home right away, and that’s why
Now, after months of uncertainty, they finally returned to Earth. SpaceX crews, carrying them along with astronauts Nicholas Hague and Aleksandr Gorbunov, will splash off the Florida coast on Tuesday at 5:57 pm ET (3:27 AM IST on Wednesday).
NASA astronaut Anne McClain shouted, “We will miss you, but it’s great to go home.” As the capsule evacuated from the International Space Station and floated 418 kilometers above the Pacific Ocean.
But what happens next to the return crew?
The first moment after landing
Once Williams and Wilmore splashed, they get help from the spacecraft and put it on a stretcher. This is not a preventive measure, it is necessary. After months of microgravity, astronauts often struggle to stand, let alone walk. Balance issues, dizziness and muscle weakness are common, so medical evaluations can be done immediately.
“Many of them don’t want to be appointed to stretchers, but tell them they have to be,” explained John Dewitt, director of applied sports science at Rice University and a senior scientist in Johnson, New York. Two astronauts will be taken to a nearby rehabilitation boat where doctors will assess their physical condition and then take them to NASA’s Johnson Passion Center. There, they will spend a few days doing further medical checks and re-adjust the Earth’s gravity.
The challenge of returning to gravity
Astronauts returning from space face many physiological challenges. One of the biggest? walk. Many people even try to stand upright.
“When an astronaut returns to Earth, they are immediately forced to readjust the gravity and will have problems stabilizing their gaze, taking a walk and turning around,” Baylor Medical College noted.
In microgravity, the body changes in unexpected ways:
- Muscles will weaken – without supporting weight, key muscle groups will worsen, especially on the legs and back.
- Reduced Bone Density – NASA estimates astronauts lose about 1-2% of bone mass in space every month, making it more susceptible to fractures.
- Balance is destroyed – The vestibular system in the inner ear, responsible for spatial orientation, adapting to weightlessness. When the astronaut returns, it strives to function properly, causing dizziness and nausea.
- Fluid Movement – Blood and other body fluids are redistributed in microgravity, often causing astronauts to appear swollen. Once you return to Earth, a sudden transfer of blood pressure can lead to dizziness or fainting.
“Astronauts returning to Earth often feel dizzy when they stand up, which is called orthostatic hypotension,” explains Jaxa of Japan Space Agency. “This happens because the gravity on Earth is stronger than the gravity in space, making it more difficult for blood from the heart to the head.”
It can take weeks or even months for astronauts to recover fully.
The road to recovery
Williams and Wilmore will be nervous to recover. Their physical exercise will include:
- Strength Training – To rebuild lost muscle mass, the astronauts performed resistance training for legs and core.
- Bone Recovery Treatment – A specialized regimen helps counteract bone loss and prevent fractures.
- Balance training – This helps the vestibular system re-adapts to the Earth’s gravity attraction.
- Cardiovascular regulation – Gradually reintroduce aerobic exercises such as cycling or treadmills to enhance the heart and circulatory system.
Family gatherings will also play a key role in the return. Williams talked about her expectation to meet with her family and the two dogs. “For them, it was a roller coaster, maybe a little more than us,” she admitted.
The political storm around their mission
Williams and Wilmore’s long stay on the International Space Station was caused by technical issues, but their mission has become the focus of political debate.
SpaceX founder Elon Musk claimed there was no evidence that the Biden administration had “give up” astronauts in space. Former U.S. President Donald Trump responded to this, portraying them ultimately as a return to the rescue mission.
Speaking from the International Space Station (ISS), Wilmore tried to make the record clear: “We don’t feel abandoned, we don’t get stuck, we don’t feel confused… If you help us change the speech, let’s change it to “preparation and commitment,” that’s what we love.”
Meanwhile, Musk’s remarks sparked a dispute among Danish astronaut Andreas Mogensen, who accused him of spreading the wrong message. Musk shot back with offensive rhetoric, which drew opposition from retired astronauts, even U.S. Senator Mark Kelly, himself a former NASA astronaut. The controversy escalated when Kelly criticized Musk’s role in federal budget cuts, openly abandoning his Tesla in protest.
What’s next for Boeing’s Starliner?
The failure of Boeing’s Starliner capsules has a shadow on the future of the company’s commercial space flight program. Engineers are still investigating the cause of their thruster failure and helium leakage.
Aviation Week reports that Starliner is unlikely to fly again in 2025, although Boeing insists it remains committed to addressing these issues and obtaining new flight certifications. By contrast, SpaceX’s Crew Dragon (currently at Ferry Williams and Wilmore House) became the preferred spacecraft of choice for NASA’s astronaut transport.
Currently, Williams and Willmore will focus on their recovery. Their reward marks the end of an unexpected chapter in space travel, which tests their resilience, endurance, and adaptability.
As they prepare to step onto the solid ground again, it is certain that the Earth will feel very different after nine months in weightless space.
