Doctors of the US National Space Agency (NASA) are trying to help astronaut Sunita Williams gain weight, who remained on the International Space Station (ISS) until February 2025 due to a malfunction of the Boeing Starliner spacecraft. The woman has lost a lot of weight since arriving at the station in June, the New York Post reports, citing a source.
In the last photos taken, the woman looks thin and emaciated, "with sunken cheeks," the newspaper notes.
"She lost a lot of weight... and now she's skin and bones," said one of the NASA employees.
According to him, first of all, doctors will have to help Williams stabilize weight loss, then, under favorable conditions, this process can be reversed.
According to NYP, NASA doctors began working with Williams to help her gain pounds about a month ago — even before the publication of the photos.
Due to changes in metabolism, astronauts consume twice as many calories as an ordinary person: just to maintain their current weight, it takes about 4 thousand calories per day. Williams, doctors suggest, will need about 5 thousand calories. In addition, regular exercise is needed to maintain muscle mass and bone density in zero gravity.
NASA research shows, writes NYP, that the consequences of space travel are "more severe for women," as they lose muscle faster.
Williams and her colleague Barry Wilmore flew to the ISS on Boeing's first Starliner spacecraft on June 5, 2024. They were supposed to stay there for one week, but undocking was postponed several times due to faulty parts and helium leaks.
On September 6, the Starliner returned to Earth without a crew, the astronauts remained on the ISS. They should return in February 2025 aboard the Dragon spacecraft with two other crew members of the SpaceX Crew-9 mission, RBC reminds.