NASA gave this answer regarding Sunita Williams’ health
NASA has released a statement to address rumors about the health of Sunita Williams, an astronaut on the International Space Station (ISS), in the wake of recent health concerns. Jimi Russell, a spokesman for NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate, said that every astronaut now on the ISS is in “good health.” In order to guarantee their health and safety, Russell told the Daily Mail that NASA astronauts go through regular medical examinations that are constantly watched by flight surgeons.
Notwithstanding NASA’s assurances, media stories have sparked concerns over Williams’ health, particularly in light of a picture that went viral on social media that seemed to show her much slimmer while making a pepperoni pizza on the ISS.
Williams’ appearance was described as “gaunt” by a pulmonologist from Seattle, who attributed it to the physical strain of prolonged high-altitude life. According to the Daily Mail, the doctor said, “Her cheeks appear a bit sunken, which usually suggests total body weight loss.” She could have gone without calories while in space.
Since June, Williams and colleague astronaut Barry Wilmore have been on board the ISS. A Starliner spaceship problem extended their stay, which was originally scheduled to last eight days. The new date for their return to Earth is February of next year.
When a NASA astronaut from the Crew-8 mission was temporarily admitted to the hospital after returning from an eight-month ISS trip, the problem of astronaut health was brought back into the spotlight.
NASA said that Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin, astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, and Jeanette Epps were taken to Ascension Sacred Heart Pensacola in Florida, where one of the astronauts was monitored overnight as a precaution after a medical evaluation. NASA would not reveal whose astronaut was being monitored for privacy concerns, but they did state that the person was released the next day in “good health.”
Although NASA guarantees the safety and well-being of its astronauts during space missions via rigorous training and continuous health monitoring, living on the ISS is unquestionably demanding. By reminding us of the physical difficulties associated with existence outside of Earth’s atmosphere, Williams and her colleagues continue to push the bounds of humankind.
