Photos of NASA astronaut Sunita Williams’s 'hollow cheeks’ worries doctors about body weight loss 

Concerns about the health of the stranded NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore on the International Space Station (ISS) have grown after recent images of them surfaced. 

The two astronauts, who were only slated to be at the space station for eight days, have now spent 153 days and doctors are concerned about their health after a new photo shows Williams, 59, appearing jarringly gaunt. 

Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore have been stuck on the ISS since June 6, when their Boeing Starliner experienced technical malfunctions. The two astronauts will remain on the ISS until February 2025, when they are expected to return on the SpaceX capsule.

Though she is smiling and seems to be in good spirits, Williams looks remarkably hollow-cheeked than when she first boarded the orbiting workplace. 

“What you’re seeing there in that picture is somebody that I think is experiencing the natural stresses of living at a very high altitude, even in a pressurised cabin, for extended periods,” Dr Vinay Gupta told the Daily Mail. 

Williams sunken cheeks are likely a result of a “significant” calorie deficit, he added. 

“They’re intaking very high-calorie foods, as you can tell — cold cuts, and, you know, other meats, the proteins, but high-fat cold cuts — it’s not necessarily a balanced diet,” Gupta said. 

While Sunita Williams may not be in immediate danger, Dr Gupta seemed concerned about the NASA astronaut’s current body weight. “Her cheeks appear a bit sunken - and usually it happens when you've had sort of total body weight loss,” said Dr Gupta. 

The human body burns more calories in space than it does on terrestrial ground due to low temperatures and general harsh conditions. 

Sunita Williams has been stuck in space since June 6, where she celebrated her birthday in September, and even cast her vote in the US Presidential Elections 2024. 

Concerns about Sunita Williams’s health come amid the recent hospitalisation of NASA Crew 8 members. 

A crew of four NASA astronauts returning to Earth on SpaceX’s Dragon capsule were rushed to the hospital after spending 200 days on the ISS. 

One of those astronauts was kept overnight at Ascension Sacred Heart Pensacola hospital, NASA said. The space agency did not reveal the nature of the medical emergency and the astronaut was released the following day.