Indian-origin NASA astronaut Sunita Williams has safely returned home after spending 286 days in space, marked by 4,577 orbits around the planet and travelling a distance of 195.2 million kilometres.
What began as an eight-day mission alongside fellow astronaut Butch Wilmore turned into a nine-month journey owing to technical issues with the Starliner spacecraft. As part of the Crew-9 mission, the astronauts splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean after successfully navigating the re-entry through Earth’s atmosphere.
The nine astronauts boarded the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft on Tuesday morning as it undocked from the International Space Station’s Harmony port. They endured a 17-hour flight that was controlled and monitored by the teams at NASA and Elon Musk’s SpaceX.
According to reports, the spacecraft delivered immaculately, putting the capsule on a re-entry trajectory into the planet’s atmosphere.
As the spacecraft plunged at breakneck speed, the intense friction with the dense atmosphere formed a plasma wall around it. Inside, the four astronauts held their breath, anxiously awaiting the end of the communication blackout as temperatures climbed.
Mission Control received a radio transmission confirming that there were no glitches in the operation. The drogue parachutes deployed, slowing the vehicle from thousands of kilometres per hour to a gentle splashdown, as it touched the Atlantic Ocean off Florida’s coast.
Feeling normal on earth will take time
It would take several weeks for the returning astronauts to adjust to the body changes on Earth. “Once the astronaut returns to Earth, they are immediately forced to readjust again, back to Earth’s gravity, and can experience issues standing, stabilising their gaze, walking and turning. For their safety, returning astronauts are often placed in a chair immediately upon return to Earth,” the Houston-based Baylor College of Medicine said in a note on body changes in space.
By communicating information about gravity to the brain, the vestibular organ, located deep within the ear, aids people in maintaining their balance when walking on Earth.
“In the low gravity of space, the information received from the vestibular organs changes. This is thought to confuse the brain, leading to space sickness. When you return to Earth, you experience the effects of Earth’s gravity again, and thus gravity sickness sometimes occurs, with similar symptoms as space sickness,” the Japanese space agency JAXA said in a statement.
Sunita Williams might feel weak and have trouble walking. In space, astronauts lose 1% to 2% of their bone mass each month, making them susceptible to fractures. Exercise can help, but it might take some time for her bones to regain strength.
The heart may shrink in size since it does not have to work as hard in space. The cardiovascular system needs time to adjust to change in conditions. In space, the body’s sense of balance is disrupted, causing nausea, light-headedness, and a general sense of imbalance. After landing on Earth, these sensations could persist for a while, according to experts.
Invitation from India
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has posted a heartfelt letter to Sunita Williams, inviting her to India. “Even though you are thousands of miles away, you continue to remain close to our hearts. The people of India are praying for your good health and success in your mission,” Narendra Modi wrote in the letter which was shared by Union Minister Jitendra Singh on X.
“Ms. Bonnie Pandya must be keenly awaiting your return and I am sure that Late Deepakbhai’s blessings are with you as well. I fondly remember meeting him along with you during my visit to the United States in 2016. After your return, we are looking forward to seeing you in India. It will be a pleasure for India to host one of its most illustrious daughters,” the Indian Prime Minister wrote.
Notably, Sunita was a first cousin of former BJP minister and leader Haren Pandya, who was assassinated in 2003. Haren Pandya’s father, Vithalbhai, claimed that the murder was politically motivated and accused then Chief Minister Narendra Modi of being the mastermind. However, the courts dismissed his petitions. Vithalbhai later passed away mourning the loss of his only son. Sunita Williams, however, chose not to involve herself in the controversy. Her last visit to India and Gujarat was in 2007 as a guest of the Gujarat State.
SpaceX will now concentrate on the Axiom-4 mission, which is scheduled to fly in the spring and has India written all over it when the return mission is complete.
As part of Axiom-4, India Air Force Gp. Capt. Shubhanshu Shukla will fly the Dragon spacecraft to the ISS for 14 days on a private mission with three other astronauts.
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