NASA's Starliner Astronauts Wrap Up Post-Return Recovery

Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, the NASA astronauts who lived at the International Space Station (ISS) for 286 days following the failure of Boeing’s Starliner capsule, have recovered from their lengthy lack of gravity. In an interview with Reuters, the duo shared that they completed an intensive physical readaptation program designed to mitigate the long-term effects of space travel. Though the astronauts are still working with a bit of fatigue and neck pain, it’s nothing compared with what they experienced just after splashdown.
It’s normal for astronauts to require rehabilitation after returning to Earth: Zero-gravity environments cause muscle atrophy, bone density loss, and a lack of balance that take time to regain once on the ground. In some cases, recovery takes only a few weeks—but that’s typical of astronauts who were in space for just a few days, as Williams and Wilmore were supposed to be. Instead, the astronauts were forced to stay at the ISS for nine months, thus demanding a longer acclimation period once they finally came home on March 18.
“Gravity stinks for a period, and that period varies for different people,” Wilmore told Reuters. “Your back is not used to holding up your structure.”
NASA reportedly uses a 45-day standard readaptation program for astronauts returning from long-term missions. During that time, astronauts work with the agency’s medical unit to condition their neurovestibular (balance and coordination) systems and regain lost muscle tissue. “Reminding” the body how to work with gravity is an exhausting process; for some astronauts, like Williams, fatigue sets in.
“I was still tired,” Williams said of the period following the program. “All the little muscles are getting reengaged. It kept me [from] being able to wake up.” Now, two and a half months after her return, she’s finally back to waking up at 4 a.m. the way she likes, Williams added.
Wilmore has also experienced some of his own complications. In the interview, he shared that he “has some issues” with his neck after “pulling Gs for 30-plus years.” 
“But in space, all that goes away. You know, you don’t have any stress on your body,” Wilmore said. 
Then, after SpaceX’s refurbished Dragon capsule splashed down with Williams and Wilmore inside, the pain returned. 
“We’re still floating in the capsule in the ocean, and my neck starts hurting…we haven’t been extracted yet,” Wilmore explained.
Despite these hiccups, the astronauts are back to work—meaning they’re lending a hand to NASA spaceflight programs and to Boeing.
“We’re here, and we’re feeling fine,” Williams said.
© 2001-2025 Ziff Davis, LLC., a Ziff Davis company. All Rights Reserved.
ExtremeTech is a federally registered trademark of Ziff Davis, LLC and may not be used by third parties without explicit permission. The display of third-party trademarks and trade names on this site does not necessarily indicate any affiliation or the endorsement of ExtremeTech. If you click an affiliate link and buy a product or service, we may be paid a fee by that merchant.

source