NASA astronauts Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore, Nick Hague are expected to reach earth on March 19; the splashdown is expected at 3.27am as per Indian Standard Time. Fans and followers of the astronauts who have been praying for their safe return are worried about their health, especially how they will adjust to the earth's gravitational force.
One of the biggest challenges astronauts face is the inability to walk on earth. Many astronauts struggle to stand or move normally, often requiring assistance. This phenomenon is primarily due to the effects of microgravity on the human body. As soon as they reach Earth, they are carried on stretchers. "A lot of them don't want to be brought out on a stretcher, but they're told they have to be," John DeWitt, director of applied sports science at Rice University in Texas and a former senior scientist at NASA's Johnson Space Center told Live Science. He has developed methods to improve astronaut health during spaceflight.
