The story of Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore is only just beginning, and while the pair have insisted they weren't 'stranded' in space for 286 days, it's become an easy headline after their Boeing Starliner malfunctioned and flew back without them in September 2024.
The pair have been caught in the middle of a media storm ever since President Donald Trump called for Elon Musk to 'go get' them, while the latter claimed they'd been used as political pawns by the Biden administration.
NASA moved its launch schedule forward, and on March 16, 2025, four Crew-10 astronauts arrived on the International Space Station to take over from Williams, Wilmore, Nick Hague and Aleksandr Gorbunov. The Crew-9 Dragon spacecraft made a successful splashdown on March 18, but before Williams and Wilmore could even get a word out, they were quickly rushed off on stretchers.
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We've already been told this is standard protocol for any extended time in space, with all four being whisked away for medical examinations.
Still, with people being concerned about the health of Williams in particular for months, the supposed 'brutal' recovery regime they're about to be thrust into could take even more of a toll on their bodies.
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Standard side effects from being in space for such a long time include loss of muscle mass and bone density, possible changes to your eyesight, and even a potential increase in cancer scares due to being bombarded by so much cosmic radiation.
However, according to former Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield, one unexpected side effect could change the way you talk.
Previously discussing his 146 days aboard the ISS in 2013, Hadfield said: "Right after I landed, I could feel the weight of my lips and tongue and I had to change how I was talking. I hadn’t realised that I learned to talk with a weightless tongue."
This prompted the University of British Columbia to conduct research into how gravity affects speech, with Department of Linguistics professor Bryan Gick and doctoral student Arian Shamei noting how vowels produced by astronauts change following a stint in space.
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Shamei explained: "We found that all vowels were lowered and centralized for post-flight conditions, meaning astronauts speak as if their tongues are effectively heavier upon return from space.
“Speech sounds requiring upward movements of the tongue were particularly impaired, as these movements are more affected by the force of gravity."
While Williams and Wilmore had to undertake the standard exercise of up to two hours a day when onboard the ISS, Gick suggested that NASA should look at implementing exercises for the tongue: "The next steps would be to outline for the agencies a range of follow-up studies of speech perception and production and other fine motor control under varying gravitational conditions."
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It's not just their tongues that could do with a workout, as Hadfield also said his feet had lost all cushioning on his feet: "I was walking around like I was walking on hot coals." This fits with warnings that Williams and Wilmore will have so-called 'baby feet' skin upon their return.
There's a lot for Williams and Wilmore to look forward to now they’re back on Earth, but in terms of their recovery, it's not something we envy.