NASA
nasa.gov › centers-and-facilities › johnson › life-after-microgravity-astronauts-reflect-on-post-flight-recovery
Life After Microgravity: Astronauts Reflect on Post-Flight Recovery - NASA
September 9, 2025 - NASA astronaut Loral O’Hara pedals on the Cycle Ergometer Vibration Isolation System (CEVIS) inside the International Space Station’s Destiny laboratory module. ... Astronauts aboard the International Space Station work out roughly two hours a day to protect bone density, muscle strength, and the cardiovascular system, but the longer they are in microgravity, the harder it can be for the brain and body to readapt to gravity’s pull. After months in orbit, returning astronauts often describe Earth as heavy, loud, and strangely still.
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Images from before, during and after their trip ...
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Before-and-after pics of NASA's astronauts show impact after months in Space
Turns out, there's no hair dye in space. More on reddit.com
How are astronauts recovered after splashdown?
From SpX's website: https://space-offshore.com/dragon-recovery/ "Following the splashdown of a Dragon capsule, recovery teams in small fast-approach boats connect lines, deployed from the recovery ship, will start to work around Dragon. First checking for safety checks for the presence of hypergolics and crew welfare. Once those checks are complete the capsule is rigged to allow it to be hoisted onto the recovery ship. NASA requires SpaceX to egress astronauts from Dragon within 60 minutes of splashdown. Whilst the Dragon recovery operation is ongoing, other fast boats work to collect up the parachutes from the ocean surface and haul those onboard. Once Dragon has been raised onto the recovery ship, astronauts are helped to exit the capsule and taken to the onboard medical facility for checkouts. A helicopter will then land on the vessel to take them back to land. For Cargo Dragon operations, a helicopter is also used to take time-sensitive cargo back to Kennedy Space Centre as fast as possible." For Artemis missions: https://www3.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/files/orion-recovery.pdf Artemis is the Navy link you were looking for. The Air Force provides contingency support: https://www.1af.acc.af.mil/Units/Det-3/ Their motto is "These things we do, that others may live." They are awesome. More on reddit.com
NASA astronauts Butch (Wilmore) and Suni (Williams) emerge from recovery after long Starliner/International Space Station mission
So, for anyone that didn't read the article, they were doing regular work-duties on the Starliner program during their rehabilitation period. They only spend two hours a day on physical rehab. Remember while on the station astronauts spend a couple hours each day strength training so they don't lose all their muscle mass, but there are lots of little muscle groups only used in balancing that are difficult to maintain with even the advanced exercise equipment on the ISS. I imagine a lot of the rehab is just a matter of time, but the dedicated physical therapy just accelerates that process. More on reddit.com
NASA astronauts return to Earth after an 8 day mission turned into 9 months.
A modern day '3 hour tour' More on reddit.com
Videos
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NASA
nasa.gov › history › alsj-and-afj
The Apollo Lunar Surface Journal and Apollo Flight Journal - NASA
1 month ago - Visit the Apollo Journals Website about The Apollo Lunar Surface Journal and Apollo Flight Journal · In 1988, Eric M. Jones had an epiphany while visiting Johnson Space Center. Jones, an astronomer fascinated by the history of human exploration, began studying air-to-ground transcripts produced during the Apollo missions to learn more about the experience of astronauts on the surface of the Moon.
Phys.org
phys.org › news › 2025-07-astronauts-india-poland-hungary-earth.html
Astronauts from India, Poland and Hungary head back to Earth after private space station mission
July 14, 2025 - The short, privately financed mission marked the first time in more than 40 years that India, Poland and Hungary saw one of their own rocket into orbit. The three astronauts were accompanied by America's most experienced space flier, Peggy Whitson, who works for Axiom Space, which chartered the flight. They launched from NASA's Kennedy Space Center on June 25.
Reddit
reddit.com › r/everythingscience › before-and-after pics of nasa's astronauts show impact after months in space
Before-and-after pics of NASA's astronauts show impact after months in Space : r/EverythingScience
June 22, 2024 - It's funny how every article on this matter are emphatic of how denigrating the astronauts' time in space was on them physically; yet they (the media) only hone in on an already older woman's hair color altering over the course of close to a year. Instead of the media accentuating the brilliance and humanity behind these heroic individuals returning home or homage to Elon's effort to do so, they want to focus on appearances!
Reddit
reddit.com › r/nasa › how are astronauts recovered after splashdown?
r/nasa on Reddit: How are astronauts recovered after splashdown?
April 25, 2025 -
Hello, I've been trying to find info on the actual recovery of the astronauts from the ocean, but I'm having a hard time finding anything about what happens after splashdown. All my Google searches are cluttered with articles about Williams and Wilmore being "stranded".
So, who does the actual recovery? I think I've seen Navy LPDs involved. Is this accurate? Are Air Force helicopters involved or is that nonsense?
I appreciate any input, thanks!
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From SpX's website: https://space-offshore.com/dragon-recovery/ "Following the splashdown of a Dragon capsule, recovery teams in small fast-approach boats connect lines, deployed from the recovery ship, will start to work around Dragon. First checking for safety checks for the presence of hypergolics and crew welfare. Once those checks are complete the capsule is rigged to allow it to be hoisted onto the recovery ship. NASA requires SpaceX to egress astronauts from Dragon within 60 minutes of splashdown. Whilst the Dragon recovery operation is ongoing, other fast boats work to collect up the parachutes from the ocean surface and haul those onboard. Once Dragon has been raised onto the recovery ship, astronauts are helped to exit the capsule and taken to the onboard medical facility for checkouts. A helicopter will then land on the vessel to take them back to land. For Cargo Dragon operations, a helicopter is also used to take time-sensitive cargo back to Kennedy Space Centre as fast as possible." For Artemis missions: https://www3.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/files/orion-recovery.pdf Artemis is the Navy link you were looking for. The Air Force provides contingency support: https://www.1af.acc.af.mil/Units/Det-3/ Their motto is "These things we do, that others may live." They are awesome.
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For missions in the 60s and 70s the US Navy handled it with carriers and amphibious assault ships in the open expanse of the Pacific Ocean. Modern missions using SpaceX splash near the Florida coastline and are picked up by SpaceX's own ships. There are YouTube videos of these recoveries, e.g., https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ka_950UyIQA Astronauts and Cosmonauts returning via Soyuz land in Kazakhstan and are picked up by helicopter crews.
NASA
nasa.gov › blogs › spacestation
International Space Station Archives - NASA
3 days ago - The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft carrying NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov has completed its deorbit burn as expected ahead of splashdown. Four minutes before splashdown, the drogue ...
Instagram
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International Space Station | Before and after: Pic ...
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facebook.com › DailyMail › posts › shocking-before-and-after-images-have-emerged- › 1105842211581838
Shocking before-and-after images have emerged 😳
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/space › nasa astronauts butch (wilmore) and suni (williams) emerge from recovery after long starliner/international space station mission
r/space on Reddit: NASA astronauts Butch (Wilmore) and Suni (Williams) emerge from recovery after long Starliner/International Space Station mission
May 29, 2025 -
Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, the U.S. astronauts left on the International Space Station last year by Boeing's troubled Starliner capsule, are on the up after returning to Earth in March, emerging from weeks of physical therapy to ramp up work with Boeing and various NASA programs.
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So, for anyone that didn't read the article, they were doing regular work-duties on the Starliner program during their rehabilitation period. They only spend two hours a day on physical rehab. Remember while on the station astronauts spend a couple hours each day strength training so they don't lose all their muscle mass, but there are lots of little muscle groups only used in balancing that are difficult to maintain with even the advanced exercise equipment on the ISS. I imagine a lot of the rehab is just a matter of time, but the dedicated physical therapy just accelerates that process.
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Wilmore and Williams, ..., have had to readapt their muscles, sense of balance and other basics of Earth living in a 45-day period standard for astronauts returning from long-term space missions.
MSN
msn.com › en-us › health › other › before-and-after-pics-of-nasa-s-astronauts-show-impact-after-months-in-space › ar-AA1BfO1G
Before-and-after pics of NASA's astronauts show ...
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Quora
quora.com › Have-people-been-left-in-space-before
Have people been left in space before? - Quora
Answer (1 of 9): No. To date, everyone who has gone up has come down. Sadly, eleven people, seven NASA astronauts and four Russian cosmonauts, died during return. Vladimir Kamarov was killed in the crash landing of Soyuz 1. Georgy Dobrovolsky, Viktor Patsayev, and Vladislav Volkov died when the c...