Featured Image Credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images/Instagram/@iss
NASA has responded to the growing concerns over the health of their stranded astronauts.
This comes after images were posted on social media of the two astronauts who are stuck in space.
Butch Wilmore and Sunita “Suni” Williams have been trapped in space since June this year after arriving at the International Space Station for what was meant to be just an eight day mission.
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However, the NASA astronauts will likely not return until early next year after they ran into some serious issues with their spacecraft Starliner's propulsion system.
NASA deemed it too unsafe for the pair to return to Earth so they will have to wait to be picked up by SpaceX Crew-9 in 2025.
Since then, concerns have been growing for the health of Wilmore and Williams and recent images have fueled speculation.
A series of photos were uploaded to the ISS Instagram account where the astronauts can be seen enjoying a pizza night.
While Williams appears to be in good spirits, her cheeks seem hollow and have caught the attention of people on social media.
One user commented on the Instagram post, saying: “Is Suni OK? Health wise?”
Over on X, formerly Twitter, another said: “It looks like those two American astronauts stuck in the ISS are not in good health, especially Suni Williams.”
However, NASA has insisted that there is nothing to worry about.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, NASA spokesperson Jimi Russell said: “All NASA astronauts aboard the International Space Station undergo routine medical evaluations, have dedicated flight surgeons monitoring them, and are in good health.”
Dr Vinay Gupta also previously spoke to the Daily Mail, saying: “What you’re seeing there in that picture is somebody that I think is experiencing the natural stresses of living at a very high altitude, even in a pressurized cabin, for extended periods.”
The expert went on to explain that the human body burns more calories in space due to lower temperatures and harsher conditions so it’s possible that Williams’ appearance is due to being in a calorie deficit.
Gupta continued: “They’re intaking very high-calorie foods, as you can tell — cold cuts, and, you know, other meats, the proteins, but high-fat cold cuts — it’s not necessarily a balanced diet.”
Last month, the crew of SpaceX’s Dragon capsule were rushed to hospital upon returning to Earth after spending 200 days on the ISS.
One of the four NASA astronauts was kept overnight at Ascension Sacred Heart Pensacola hospital.
NASA has not commented on the reason behind the medical emergency.
