Astronauts may have 'baby feet,' get shorter, face strange health problems after return

NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore have finally ended their unexpected nine-month stay in space, but their health journey on Earth is far from over.

They may face a variety of health problems — from weaker bones and muscles to vision issues and “baby feet” — as their bodies adjust back to the planet’s gravity.

"Gravity makes you tired, very tired," Wilmore told NBC’s Tom Costello in an interview that aired on TODAY on Apr. 1.

"It was really nice to lie down in a bed — we hadn't done that for many months," Williams added. "Earth is nice."

During a NASA news conference on March 31, the astronaut said she's been feeling well since getting back and ran 3 miles the day before.

When asked what food they missed the most in space, Williams listed a latte while Wilmore mentioned chicken salad.

The astronauts splashed down in a SpaceX Dragon capsule off the coast of Florida on March 18. They were then flown to Houston, Texas, for quarantine and medical evaluation.

Why were the astronauts stuck in space?

Williams, 59, and Wilmore, 62, arrived at the International Space Station last June and were supposed to stay for about a week.

They were forced to remain in orbit around Earth when the vehicle they arrived in — Boeing’s Starliner capsule — developed thruster problems and helium leaks.

How long were they stuck in space?

They spent 286 days in space — one of the longest periods of time on board the International Space Station.

During their extended stay, Williams denied rumors she was losing weight, noting her head just looked bigger in relation to her body because of the way fluid redistributes in microgravity, causing a "puffy head, bird legs" appearance.

Did the astronauts return?

Yes, after splashing down in the waters off Tallahassee, Florida, on March 18, the astronauts were checked out by doctors.

How to watch the splashdown

NASA posted a clip of the moment the astronauts splashed down:

nasa

 Edited•1w

A picture perfect splashdown 🌊

Welcome home, #Crew9! NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission carrying @nasaastronauts Butch Wilmore, Suni Williams, Nick Hague, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov splashed down off the coast of Florida near Tallahassee at 5:57 pm EDT (2157 UTC).

After a long-duration science expedition aboard the @iss, the crew completed hundreds of science experiments and technological demonstrations that will benefit humanity, and prepare us for future deep space missions.

Video description: Framed by a light blue sky and tranquil azure sea, the SpaceX Dragon Freedom spacecraft is seen descending. It is suspended by four large orange-and-white parachutes. The drone capturing this footage tracks to the right as the capsule touches the surface of the water, and its chutes follow gracefully.

Credit: NASA/SpaceX

#astronauts #splashdown #parachute #WelcomeHome #NASA #Roscosmos #SpaceX

What health issues do astronauts have?

The astronauts underwent a thorough medical exam at NASA’s Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston, where they were monitored for any cardiac, blood pressure, vision or neurological changes, Costello reported.

“Astronauts say they often feel wobbly and nauseated when they return to Earth because the ear’s vestibular system has to readjust,” Costello said.

"I remember that first time attempting to walk, it almost felt like my legs were not attached to me," NASA astronaut Woody Hoburg told TODAY about his experience after a long stay on the ISS.

Williams said she's "feeling better and better" every day.

"It's pretty much a miracle to see how your human body can adapt," she noted at the NASA news conference.

Here are other health issues the astronauts may deal with after a long stay in space:

Bone and muscle loss

Bones become about 1% less dense for each month in space, according to NASA, especially bones in the legs, hips and spine, which do the heavy lifting on Earth.

Muscles don’t need to work as hard in space so they, too, atrophy. All of it could lead to falls, bone fracture, osteoporosis and other medical problems once the mission is over.

To counteract these effects, astronauts must exercise every day in space — for about two hours, including cardio and resistance training — as part of their job to keep their bones and muscles strong. Wilmore credited NASA's astronaut strength, conditioning, and rehabilitation specialists — fitness trainers and coaches — for creating workouts that kept him strong on the ISS.

But astronauts still feel the impact when they return home.

“It’s a big shock for the body to come back to Earth — everything is so heavy. We spend a lot of time getting used being back in gravity again,” former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson previously told TODAY.com.

Astronaut Matthew Dominick said he expected to be disoriented and dizzy after coming back from space, but was surprised by "little things" like finding it difficult to sit in a hard chair. He'd lie down on a towel on the ground to feel more comfortable, he recalled during a NASA news conference in November 2024.

As part of the adjustment, the astronauts will spend a few weeks doing supervised workouts — going to the gym with special trainers who'll instruct them to lift weights, move around, run and do the things "they enjoy doing and that they need to do," former NASA astronaut Mike Massimino told TODAY.

NASA calls it "a progressive 45-day post-mission recovery program," and says most crew members recover within this period of time, NPR reported.

Immune system changes

After such a long time away from the planet, the astronauts' immune systems have undergone changes, experts say.

"They have to deal with being back on Earth, so that means all the little germs and bugs that we have," Dr. Mark Rosenberg, director of the aerospace neurology and human performance program at the Medical University of South Carolina, told TODAY.

"Their immune system has been suppressed over a period of time."

Immunosuppression during spaceflight was first noticed during the Apollo missions in the 1960s and "remains a major health risk for astronauts," researchers wrote in a scientific report published in Nature.

Shorter height on Earth

Astronauts grow in space because the spinal column expands out without gravity, Whitson said. She grew about an inch, while former NASA astronaut Scott Kelly became 2 inches taller.

On Earth, the spinal disks compress again so Whitson experienced “dramatic” back pain upon coming back. Former NASA astronaut Frank Rubio — who spent 371 days on the International Space Station, a record — also reported lower back pain.

Coming back after such a long time effortlessly floating in microgravity, the spine is "really not used to keeping your posture every single moment of the day," Rubio told NPR.

Vision issues

Astronauts’ eyes and brain structure change in space because without gravity, “fluids in the body shift upward to the head, which may put pressure on the eyes and cause vision problems,” NASA says.

The condition is known as spaceflight associated neuro-ocular syndrome.

Changes include swelling of the optic nerve, folds in the retina, flattening of the back of the eye and blurry vision. Some changes may be permanent in some astronauts, NASA notes.

Brain changes

Those fluid shifts in space also mean astronauts experience brain structural changes that don't appear to be reversible after coming back to Earth, said Rachael Seidler, Ph.D., who studies spaceflight-associated health changes at the University of Florida, in a news release.

The brain physically sits higher in the skull and the brain's ventricles — cavities filled with cerebrospinal fluid — expand, she noted.

Those changes are seen in astronauts even six months to a year after their return, Seidler added, which could impact their long-term health.

Heart changes

While in space, many astronauts experience changes similar to what happens with aging, such as arterial stiffening and thickened artery walls, NASA has found.

In addition, the heart changes shape and becomes more spherical in microgravity, which makes it perform less efficiently, according to a study of 12 astronauts.

Spaceflight also may raise the risk of atrial fibrillation, a heart rhythm problem, research has found.

A separate analysis of human heart muscle tissue sent to the International Space Station showed low gravity weakened the tissues and disrupted their normal rhythm.

‘Baby feet’

The feet are designed to bear the body’s weight on Earth, so the skin on the bottom is tough and sturdy as people walk around. But since astronauts bounce and float in space, the feet don’t support much and the soles become delicate, said former NASA astronaut Leroy Chiao.

“You basically lose the thick part of the skin on your feet that develops, and you kind of have baby feet when you come back,” he told NewsNation earlier this month.

Any callouses fall off, said former NASA astronaut Scott Kelly, noting he received compliments while getting a foot massage after returning from a space mission.

“The masseuse says, ‘You have the softest feet I’ve ever felt in my whole life,’” he recalled on C-Span. Rubio was surprised by the pressure and sensitivity that comes with standing and walking on Earth.

"The bottoms of my feet actually hurt quite a bit," he told NPR. "You really can't train that."

The feet return to normal quickly, Chiao added.

Skin rash

Researchers reported the case of a NASA astronaut who developed a rash and skin sensitivity when he came home after 340 days in space. The symptoms lasted for six days after he landed on Earth and were successfully treated with medication, hydrotherapy and massage.

"A prolonged lack of skin stimulation over the course of the year-long mission" was likely to blame for rash, the authors wrote.