Rescued astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore are still getting used to gravity after having been stranded for nine months in space.
The astronauts told Newsmax earlier this week that it will take a “couple more months” before their bodies return to normal.
In talking about the physical challenges of being back on Earth, Wilmore said that it “certainly is” weird to get used to gravity again.
“Neurovestibular, your balance, those inner ear canals are just getting used to the gravitational pull, and it does take a couple of days. A little bit dizzy, a little bit of wobbliness. But over time, the body is pretty — it's just amazing — it adjusts. … Now, these muscles, it hasn't held up your bone structure for months is now responsible for that. So you get some twinges in the back as it starts to adjust as well. The process will continue for a couple more months as we go forward,” Wilmore said.
Williams added that, “[B]ut also, you know, all those little muscles; my neck hurt for about 12 hours just because your head is heavy. You know, just simple things like that. And even the act of lifting up your arm, it's like, ‘Wow, that weighs a lot.’ Of course, you get you get used to it pretty quick. Your brain kicks in and then you're back to a normal stance. You're back to normal, moving your arms and stuff like that. But it is incredible what all of us put up with on a daily basis. And that makes us healthy and that makes us human beings.”
An issue with the astronauts’ Boeing Starliner turned an eight-day mission into 286 days stranded on the International Space Station before Elon Musk's SpaceX Dragon finally could bring them home.
“For that, I am grateful that our national leaders actually are coming in and taking part in our human space flight program, which we see is hugely important, [of] global significance, and they take an active role. And based on the past and what we see now … it's refreshing, not just refreshing, it's empowering,” Wilmore said.
“I'm just glad that they're involved and they're taking notice,” Williams added.
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