Sunita Williams’ ‘miraculous recovery’ lauded by experts: How the astronaut is bouncing back after 300 days in space
What was supposed to be an eight-day mission turned into an unprecedented 286-day ordeal for NASA astronauts Sunita “Suni” Williams and Barry “Butch” Wilmore. After spending nearly ten months in space, they finally returned to Earth on March 18, 2025. Now, as they adjust to life back on solid ground, their recovery—particularly Williams’—has become a subject of fascination.
Vinay Gupta, a pulmonologist and Air Force veteran, weighed in on Williams’ post-space recovery in an interview with Mail Online. “Her face looks fuller, less sunken than when she first landed,” Gupta noted. “It looks like she’s simply getting better sleep now that she’s back on Earth.”
He explained that prolonged exposure to microgravity affects metabolism, muscle mass, and circulation. The moment astronauts return to Earth’s gravity, their bodies begin to re-adjust. “Her body isn’t under the same stresses it would have been experiencing in space,” he said. “She’s likely eating healthier, gaining some weight back, and looking noticeably better.” According to Gupta, Williams is well on her way to full recovery, with the most challenging phase already behind her.
After returning to Earth, both astronauts completed routine medical checks with NASA’s astronaut office before reuniting with their families.
Williams on the unexpected mission
For Williams, the extended mission was unexpected but not unmanageable. In her first interview post-return, she spoke about how she coped with the prolonged stay.
“My first thought was, we just got to pivot,” she told Fox News. “We planned, we trained for some extended time, so we were ready to jump into it and take on the tasks given to us.”
Instead of panic, Williams relied on her training, adapting to the situation with focus and determination. Her response to being stranded in orbit underscores the resilience that makes astronauts uniquely suited for space travel.
The recovery process
After nearly a year in space, astronauts undergo intensive rehabilitation to regain strength and adjust to gravity. As Gupta pointed out, the body starts to heal the moment it returns to a normal gravitational field.
Credit: Instagram/@nasaastronauts
“The second you’re back on level ground, your body starts to heal and re-equilibrate,” he said. Williams’ swift improvement is an encouraging sign that her recovery is on track. However, it has been found out by former astronauts that reversing the effects of long-duration space exposure can take up to 1.5 times the mission length, meaning Williams and Wilmore may need up to a year for full recovery.
Williams spoke to reporters in Houston on Monday about her return to Earth, saying, “It’s great getting back. I went for a run—although very slow.”
NASA and Boeing aim to conduct a ground test of Starliner this summer, with another test flight planned for early 2026.
