NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams safely returned to Earth on Tuesday (US local time), splashing down off Florida’s coast in a SpaceX capsule. Their return came nine months after their planned week-long stay on the ISS was disrupted due to issues with Boeing’s Starliner craft.
Both Wilmore and Williams are Navy test pilots who joined NASA. Wilmore, 62, was a high school and college football player in Tennessee, while Williams, 59, was a competitive swimmer and distance runner from Needham, Massachusetts.
Living in space for months poses physical challenges, including muscle and bone loss, fluid shifts that can lead to kidney stones, vision issues, and balance readjustment upon return to gravity. These effects are well-documented and managed by NASA. Both astronauts were experienced ISS crew members and refreshed their station training before launch.
Williams became ISS commander three months into their stay, holding the position until earlier this month.
What did they eat, and how did they live?
Food on ISS: On November 18 last year, The New York Post reported that NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams had been eating pizza, roast chicken, and shrimp cocktails aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
Limited fresh produce: A source familiar with the Boeing Starliner mission issues mentioned in the report revealed that the crew's intake of fresh produce was restricted to maintaining a nutritious diet.
Variety of food: According to a specialist insider, the astronauts had access to breakfast cereal with powdered milk, pizza, roast chicken, shrimp cocktails, and tuna. NASA medics monitored their calorie intake.
NASA image: A NASA-released image from September 9 showed Wilmore and Williams having a meal on the ISS, with some of these food items visible.
Fresh food depletion: The insider highlighted that fresh fruits and vegetables were initially available but ran out within three months. Later, they were available packaged or freeze-dried, the insider said in November last year
Food preparation: All meat and eggs were pre-cooked on Earth and only required reheating. Dehydrated foods like soups, stews, and casseroles were rehydrated using water from the ISS’s 530-gallon fresh water tank. The station also recycles astronauts' urine and sweat into fresh water for consumption.
Weight loss concerns: The specialist clarified that any weight loss was not due to a lack of food on the ISS. “So to be accurate, it should be very clear that any weight loss is not due to a lack of provisions on the ISS. There is plenty of food, even for an extended mission.” The ISS is stocked with about 3.8 pounds of food per astronaut per day, along with extra supplies for unexpected mission extensions.
Courtesy: Hindustan Times
Bd-pratidin English/FNC
