New Delhi, March 18 About 1.4 billion Indians are praying for the safe return of Indian-origin NASA astronaut Sunita Williams and her colleague Butch Wilmore -- who spent about 285 days in the International Space Station (ISS) -- to Earth, said experts on Tuesday.
Williams and Wilmore became the first to travel on Boeing's faulty Starliner spacecraft in June last year. What began as an eight-day trip, lasted 285 days in space.
After several delays, the astronaut duo is enroute to Earth. Their journey from Space aboard SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft began on Tuesday morning. They are expected to reach Earth on Wednesday morning.
"1.4 billion Indians praying and wishing for their safe return," former ISRO scientist Guru Prasad told IANS while elaborating on the risks during the landing.
He stated that knowing the risks attached with such flights, space engineers will take much care on procedures and safety measures to be adopted.
"Looking at what has been done in the past 65 years after Yuri Gagarin's space flight, and the way in which humans have gathered experience makes me optimistic about William's safe return," Prasad said.
He also explained about the life of astronauts in space and the challenges they face due to weightlessness.
"The life of any astronaut is always very challenging, Sunita Williams has faced it. It's not easy but they are well trained to withstand," said Prasad, also the Director of the Association of Science Education, Nehru Planetarium.
Further, the expert also highlighted health issues that can follow such a long stay in space.
"Long space stays can lead to calcium loss in astronauts. It can make their bones brittle, making them more prone to fractures," Prasad said.
Other health issues due to overstaying in space include muscle atrophy, and impact on the heart, immune system, gut, eyes and even the mind.
The spine also straightens, and one tends to become a little taller. "However, all these doesn't mean it's a danger to humans...over 500 individuals have been to space and back in the last many decades," Prasad told IANS.
Prerna Chandra, Project Manager at Nehru Planetarium, also explained about the health risks that the astronauts are likely to face upon their return.
"When we talk about space, the astronauts live in microgravity. In space, there is no gravity of any kind inside the body. In such a situation, a lot of changes and problems come on return to Earth," Chandra said, while wishing Williams a safe landing.
"The astronauts need proper rehabilitation because it was a long time, 9 months was a long time, and they will need a long time for recovery as well," she added.
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