Concerns for the health of the NASA astronauts stranded on the International Space Station have grown after recent images showing one of them looking severely drawn surfaced.
Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore have been stuck on the ISS since June 6, when their Boeing Starliner experienced technical malfunctions.
The two brave Americans, who were only slated to be at the space station for eight days, have now spent 153 days among the stars — and doctors are raising concerns about their health after a new photo shows Williams, 59, appearing jarringly gaunt.
The two astronauts are seen chowing down on an ad hoc dinner consisting of uncooked pizza, ketchup, mustard and various sundries.
Though she is smiling and seems to be in good spirits, Williams looks remarkably hollow-cheeked than when she first boarded the orbiting workplace.
“What you’re seeing there in that picture is somebody that I think is experiencing the natural stresses of living at a very high altitude, even in a pressurized cabin, for extended periods,” Dr. Vinay Gupta told the Daily Mail.
Williams’ notably sunken cheeks are likely a result of a “significant” calorie deficit, he added.
The human body burns more calories in space than it does on terrestrial ground due to low temperatures and general harsh conditions, Gupta explained.
He emphasized that one of the known health concerns for anyone spending extended time in space is muscle atrophy.
“They’re intaking very high-calorie foods, as you can tell — cold cuts, and, you know, other meats, the proteins, but high-fat cold cuts — it’s not necessarily a balanced diet,” Gupta told the Daily Mail.
This alarming analysis comes after a crew of four NASA astronauts returning to Earth on SpaceX’s Dragon capsule were rushed to the hospital after spending 200 days on the ISS.
One of those astronauts was kept overnight at Ascension Sacred Heart Pensacola hospital, according to NASA.
The space agency did not reveal the nature of the medical emergency and the astronaut was released the following day.
