Doctors raise fresh concerns about stranded NASA astronauts' health after major setback
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Doctors are raising fresh concerns about the health of NASA's two stranded astronauts who were dealt a major blow last night. The space agency once again delayed the return of Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore until late March at the earliest, stretching their mission to over nine months.
![[Williams looks gaunt in this photo from September that sparked widespread concerns for her health]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/18/17/93284249-14205781-Williams_looks_gaunt_in_this_photo_from_September_that_sparked_w-a-3_1734543933732.jpg)
Williams and Wilmore were only meant to spent eight days aboard the International Space Station when they launched on Boeing's faulty Starliner spacecraft on June 5. Now, their names could be added to the short list of NASA astronauts who have spent more than 300 days in space. Only five have ever completed missions that long.
![[NASA initially delayed the astronauts' return to February 2025, but now, the American space agency says the Starliner crew won't come home until late March at the earliest]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/18/15/93276321-14205781-image-a-5_1734536326517.jpg)
Dr John Jaquish, a biomedical engineer, told DailyMail.com: 'By the time they get back to Earth, they will be at extreme risk of fragility fracture. 'They probably will not be able to walk under their own power. They will probably leave the space vehicle on a stretcher, and it will take them months to recondition their bodies.'.
![[Boeing's Starliner returned to Earth without its crew in September after NASA deemed it unfit to carry the astronauts home due to a series of technical issues]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/18/17/93284255-14205781-Boeing_s_Starliner_returned_to_Earth_without_its_crew_in_Septemb-a-4_1734543933732.jpg)
This is not uncommon for astronauts after long mission in space, but doctors have expressed particular concern for Williams who they say is already showing signs of weight loss and malnourishment, though NASA has denied these 'rumors.'. Williams and Wilmore also face risks to their psychological health, Dr. Carole Liberman, a psychiatrist based in California, told DailyMail.com.
