Next steps for NASA astronauts now they're back on Earth after being stranded in space for nine months
Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore have a long road to recovery ahead of them.
Williams and Wilmore embarked on their mission to space in June 2024 and were supposed to spend a few days at the International Space Station (ISS).
But disaster struck for the pair after their Boeing capsule was hit with technical difficulties and it was ruled that the spacecraft wasn't in a fit state to safely bring them back.
It then took the best part of ten months for the duo to be brought home — which they did so via a SpaceX spacecraft.
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The two NASA astronauts successfully returned to Earth on Tuesday (March 18), and will have to go through some health tests.
Being in space for prolonged periods can greatly affect the human body, particularly as muscle mass and bone density change.
It has been reported that Williams and Wilmore will have 45 days of rehab now they're safely back on Earth.
As per Pulmonologist and Air Force veteran Vinay Gupta, the pair will have to have a good exercise regime and nutritional plan as part of their rehab that'll help them regain their strength, with a NASA representative since confirming this.
"Crews have previously spent longer durations in space, and Suni Williams and Butch Willmore’s performance after their return is expected to be consistent with established norms," they told the New York Post.
They added that Williams and Wilmore will have to do two hours of physical therapy daily with specialized trainers. Apparently most astronauts recover within a 45-day period.
While they're safely back on Earth and are thought to have been reunited with their families by this stage, they won't return return to their actual homes until they've finished their rehab.
Williams hails from Massachusetts, while Wilmore resides in Tennessee.
Once Wilmore and Williams are given a clean bill of health, it's expected that they'll visit President Trump at the White House.
Speaking about their return and eventually meeting the duo, Trump told Fox News: "Number one, they have to get better.
"You know, when you’re up there and you have no pull in your muscle, you have no gravity, you can lift 1,000 pounds like this."
He went on: "They have to get better. It’s going to be a little bit tough for them. It’s not easy. They were up there a long time, and when they do, they’ll come to the Oval Office."
Niamh Shackleton