NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore have a long road ahead of them, and while they insist they weren't 'stranded' on the International Space Station for nine months, it makes a great story.
Although their original mission was only supposed to take eight days after they blasted off on June 5, 2024, it ended up lasting for a whopping 286 days due to issues with their Boeing Starliner and the craft having to be flown back to Earth unmanned.
The Crew-9 rescue mission arrived on the ISS toward the end of September last year, but with the then having to wait for a relief crew to relieve its two astronauts, Williams, and Wilmore, it wouldn't be until March 2025 that all four made it home.
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There were scenes of jubilation when Williams and Wilmore finally splashed down off the coast of Tallahassee, with many thanking Elon Musk and President Donald Trump for lending a hand in getting them home.
Despite concerns about Williams and Wilmore being rushed off on stretchers, this is standard practice for astronauts who’ve spent such a long time in space. With the pair being given the once over by NASA, they been sent home to their families to take part in a 'brutal' 45-day rehab regime.
With side effects including a loss of bone density and muscle mass, there's also an increased chance of cancer due to being bombarded with so much space radiation. Even though most astronauts will return to their pre-flight fitness in that 45-day window, it takes longer for others to get back to their peak.
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Now, Wilmore's wife has revealed what's 'changed' in her husband.
It might only be early days, but speaking to Texas' WVLT-TV, Deanna Wilmore explained how her husband is currently recuperating at home: "Barry does say gravity is not his friend right now. And you know the stamina is not there, and so they do have to rest and relax quite a bit because they’re just not strong yet."
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Even if Wilmore is struggling with his stamina right now, it hasn't stopped him from going to work at NASA every day. The astronauts were subjected to two hours of exercise every day while up in space to try and reduce some of the side effects they're undoubtedly experiencing back on Earth.
In the emotive interview, Deanna Wilmore thanked people for all the support they've received and added: "From East Tennessee and all over the world, really, we had so many people tell us they were praying for it. We certainly appreciate all those because we know that the Lord answers prayers and that he brought Crew-9 home safely, and those prayers definitely helped do the job”
For now, Wilmore and his family will continue staying out of the limelight like they used to before.