Featured Image Credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images/Instagram/@iss
New photos of the stranded NASA astronauts have left people feeling extremely concerned about them.
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita “Suni” Williams have been stuck in space since June this year after arriving at the International Space Station for what was meant to be just an eight day mission.
However, they ran into some serious issues with their spacecraft Starliner's propulsion system.
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It looks like the astronauts will be trapped on the ISS until 2025 after multiple problems were found in Starliner’s thrusters.
Five of the spacecraft’s maneuvering thrusters had reportedly stalled, with five helium leaks and a faulty propellant valve.
Boeing had insisted that the spacecraft was safe, allowing thruster tests that had taken place both in space and on the ground.
NASA deemed it too unsafe for the pair to return to Earth and instead they will need to wait until early next year when they will be picked up by SpaceX Crew-9.
Now, concerns have been growing for the health of Wilmore and Williams after recent images showed them appearing severely gaunt.
In a series of photos that were posted by the ISS on Instagram, the pair 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.”
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Dr Vinay Gupta said: “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.
