Astronaut Sunita Williams sits on a stretcher and gives a thumbs up as she returns to Earth after a four-month journey on the ISS in 2012 - Photo: NASA
On March 18, two NASA astronauts , Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, are expected to return to Earth in a SpaceX spacecraft, ending an unusually long mission of more than 9 months on the International Space Station (ISS).
When the capsule carrying them back opened, the astronauts were taken out on stretchers. Experts told LiveScience that the reason for the stretcher-carrying had nothing to do with Williams and Wilmore's mission on the ISS. It was simply protocol that all astronauts had to follow.
When astronauts return from space, they can't walk right away. That's because of the temporary changes to their bodies while in space - a fact that has forced NASA to implement strict safety procedures for astronauts.
"Many of them didn't want to be taken out on stretchers but were forced to," said John DeWitt, a former senior NASA scientist.
Like people who get motion sickness, astronauts can feel dizzy and nauseous upon returning to Earth. This is largely why astronauts are carried on stretchers as a precaution, DeWitt explained.
The reason is that astronauts' bodies have changed to adapt to the zero-gravity environment in space and are affected by the gravitational force from Earth when returning.
According to Mr. DeWitt, there will be significant changes to the vestibular system - related to the sense of imbalance - when spending a long time in space, and the vestibular system will also take time to adapt when returning to Earth.
In addition, astronauts working in space, especially for long periods of time, also face the risk of losing muscle and bone. The lack of activities under the influence of gravity (of Earth) in space causes their muscles to weaken and atrophy over time.
To counteract these and other effects associated with spaceflight, astronauts in general, including Williams and Wilmore, must adhere to a daily exercise regimen with appropriate equipment on the ISS.
"We've been training for nine months. We feel strong and ready to face Earth's gravity," said astronaut Williams.
Williams and Wilmore are part of the Crew-9 mission alongside NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian space agency Roscosmos astronaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, who will return to Earth on SpaceX's Dragon capsule today, March 18.
The return flight also ended an unexpected nine-month stay for Williams and Wilmore after a malfunction in Boeing's Starliner spacecraft forced NASA to return the empty ship to Earth and left them stranded on the ISS.
The effects of long-duration spaceflight on the human body are an area of ongoing research. Currently, Russian cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov holds the record for the longest continuous spaceflight, spending 437 days, or more than 14 months, on the now-defunct Mir space station in 1994 and 1995.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/vi-sao-cac-phi-hanh-gia-tro-ve-trai-dat-phai-ngoi-cang-20250318102734745.htm
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