Former NASA astronauts explain why Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore may develop 'baby feet' after returning to Earth
With growing public interest in the safe return of stranded NASA astronauts, Sunita ‘Suni’ Williams and Barry ‘Butch’ Wilmore, to Earth, experts suggest that the duo's lives back home may not be the same as they used to be. Through its Human Research Program (HRP), the space agency explained how space travelers experience bodily changes once they reach microgravity, escaping the Earth’s atmosphere. These physiological adaptations can lead to muscle weakening, balance-related issues, and more serious conditions like developing kidney stones and affecting space travelers’ heart health. But what will happen once Williams and Wilmore return to Earth?
The retired Navy captains had to extend their stay at the International Space Station (ISS) after their Boeing Starliner capsule was deemed unfit to carry them back to Earth, per Space.com. Since the summer of last year, Williams and Wilmore have been actively pursuing their mission, with Williams assuming command of the ISS. Now that their return is expected later in March, many have expressed genuine concerns about their health and well-being on Earth. Among them, a former colleague and retired NASA astronaut, Leroy Chiao, recently spoke in an interview with NewsNation Prime about how the stranded pair can expect some temporary physical side effects.
Williams and Wilmore may develop “baby feet,” as per Chiao, who listed some striking bodily changes astronauts go through once they land on Earth. The space travelers who stay in microgravity for a long period (six months or more) lose the thick and tough skin (calluses) on their feet, suggested the celebrated chemical engineer. In other words, the human body develops hardened layers of skin on the feet and toes to protect itself from wear and tear. In zero gravity, with no pressure or friction against the ground, astronauts floating in space gradually lose their calluses. “After six months to a year, you gradually lose the thick, calloused skin on your feet,” Chiao confirmed.
When host Natasha Zouves asked Chiao what it is like for astronauts to come back to Earth after almost a year in space, the latter offered a vivid response. Williams and Wilmore, who onboarded the spaceflight for a week, have been at the ISS for over nine months. Based on his own experience serving as the commander of the ISS in the early aughts, Chiao explained the most bizarre side effect of living in near-weightlessness. “You kind of have baby feet when you come back,” he said, adding, “The foot calluses come back very quickly.”
Chiao went on to list some other side effects experienced by the astronauts once they get back home. “When you return to Earth, you experience significant dizziness, and your balance system is disrupted. You may feel nauseous and slightly unwell,” the former NASA astronaut added. He emphasized how astronauts may feel sick. “To me, it feels kind of like having the flu. It takes a couple of weeks to get back to normal.” While the initial transition can be challenging, the human body eventually readjusts and adapts to planetary conditions and the environment over time.
Another astronaut who also served as the commander on the space station, Terry Virts, reiterated that space travelers tend to have different physical experiences following their prolonged stay in the cosmos. Speaking to the publication, the retired NASA astronaut elaborated, “For me, I felt two things: I felt really heavy and really, really dizzy.” Additionally, the experienced space traveler struggled to regain his sense of balance and fully recover upon returning to Earth from a space mission. Virts further suggested that the SpaceX vessel carrying Williams and Wilmore back to Earth would complete its journey in less than an hour, splashing down off the coast of Florida.
