Concerns about stranded NASA astronauts have been quashed following speculation from a doctor.
Many have had their eyes fixated on NASA astronauts Sunita "Suni" Williams and Butch Wilmore after they became trapped in space following what was meant to be an eight day mission. The pair have remained at the International Space Station since June 2024.
With the two astronauts not scheduled to return to earth until SpaceX Crew-9 picks them up in 2025, many grew concerned about their health, as any prolonged time outside of earth's limits is bound to cause some issues for the human body.
These concerns only grew once photos were posted to social media, as the images showed the pair enjoying some pizza together while looking particularly gaunt. This caused many to become uneasy about their health - especially Suni Williams who appeared to look almost 'gaunt'.
Thankfully an expert has come to rescue and explained the situation, dispelling most of the anxieties that those watching from earth have for the astronauts.
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Speaking to the Daily Mail in an interview, pulmonologist Dr Vinay Gupta detailed the "natural stresses" of space travel, and explained that Williams 'sunken cheeks' are down to the fact that "she has probably been at a significant [calorie] deficit for a while."
While this might seem odd considering the pizza that the pair were tucking into, these high-calorie meals are likely still not enough to sustain the human body while in space. On earth Williams would be expected to consume around 2,000 calories per day, whereas in space she'd have to intake up to 3,500 calories in order to avoid a deficit.
Gupta explains that "her body's probably working harder to do basic things, because the partial pressure of oxygen is lower than it would be on sea level." This means that there's little Williams can do to combat the increased demands of her body - even with an unbalanced, high-calorie diet.
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However, while Williams might not look the healthiest, and many are right to have their concerns, Dr Gupta is confident that she's not at a "place where her life's in danger." Understandably, she's not at a place where her health is perfect, but we shouldn't be too worried for now.
This has been further backed up by NASA themselves, as spokesperson Jimi Russell declared to the Daily Mail: "All NASA astronauts aboard the International Space Station undergo routine medical evaluations, have dedicated flight surgeons monitoring them, and are in good health.”
This is good news to hear, and hopefully it won't be too long now until the pair are back on earth and nursed back to full health.