NASA Astronaut Butch Wilmore’s Daughter Speaks Out After His Return to Earth from 9 Months Stranded in Space

Butch Wilmore returned to Earth in a SpaceX capsule off Florida’s coast after a nine-month mission, far longer than the planned week-long stay due to issues with the Boeing Starliner.

After spending nine months aboard the International Space Station, NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore is back on Earth. His daughter, Daryn Wilmore, couldn’t hide her excitement, taking to TikTok to share her joy and pride just before his long-awaited return.

In a heartwarming clip, she expressed her pride in her father’s remarkable achievement. While acknowledging that the experience was far from what they had anticipated, she noted that everything had turned out well at last.

Daryn’s happiness was evident as she eagerly anticipated reuniting with her dad. Although no grand party is planned, Butch’s daughter mentioned they might have a small family gathering with close friends to celebrate his return.

However, one thing is certain — she’ll be making her father’s favorite dessert, a classic pecan pie. Additionally, Daryn has already put together a list of their favorite activities, which she hopes to enjoy with him before heading back to school.

The astronaut’s daughter also explained that Butch would undergo several tests in the coming days as part of the ongoing research related to his time in space. Despite the necessary procedures, she remained upbeat, expressing immense pride in her father’s resilience and accomplishments.

Ending her video with a playful touch, Daryn jokingly suggested that Hollywood should consider turning her father’s extraordinary experience into a movie. “I have ideas,” she quipped, inviting filmmakers to reach out.

Throughout the ordeal, Daryn had used TikTok to express her emotions, posting humorous memes that captured her reactions as her father’s brief trip turned into a months-long mission. What was initially a short stay extended to weeks, then months, eventually reaching nine.

In one post from January, viewers resonated with her shock. One person commented, “I’m sorry nasa [sic] is actually evil,” while another replied, “Less evil…more incompetent.”

In February, Daryn provided an update, sharing that her dad and fellow astronaut Suni Williams had recently gone on a spacewalk and remained busy with research.

While she acknowledged the valuable work being done during their extended stay, she also expressed the emotional toll of her father missing significant moments back home.

Touching on the reasons behind the prolonged mission, she hinted at underlying issues, “But there’s been issues. There’s been negligence. And that’s the reason why this has just kept getting delayed,” adding, “There’s just been issue after issue after issue.”

Despite the challenges, Daryn was thankful for the weekly calls that allowed her to stay connected with her dad. In the same video, she excitedly revealed that he would return in mid-March, eagerly anticipating the moment she could finally hug him again.

Butch, along with fellow astronauts Suni, Nick Hague, and Aleksandr Gorbunov, touched down at Johnson Space Center’s Ellington Field in Houston at 11:19 p.m. CDT on March 18, following a successful splashdown earlier that afternoon.

The duo returned to Earth in a SpaceX capsule off Tallahassee, Florida, in the Gulf of America nine months after their troubled Boeing Starliner mission extended what was initially planned as a week-long stay.

Their return marks the end of a protracted mission marred by technical difficulties, with the Boeing Starliner’s failures thrusting NASA’s contingency planning into the spotlight. The mission’s unexpected twists and turns turned it into a global spectacle, drawing significant political and public attention.

As they settle back into life on Earth, Butch’s daughter is undoubtedly savoring every moment of their long-awaited reunion. She shared that while the Starliner mission faced challenges, it also saw significant successes.

“There were definitely some mess-ups,” she admitted. Still, Daryn acknowledged the dedication of NASA’s team, “The people there work hard, and even though there were definitely some mess-ups with this Starliner mission, there were a lot of wins.”

NASA acting Administrator Janet Petro has also said, “We are thrilled to have Suni, Butch, Nick, and Aleksandr home after their months-long mission conducting vital science, technology demonstrations, and maintenance aboard the International Space Station.”

During their mission, Suni and Butch carried out over 150 scientific experiments and technology demonstrations, dedicating more than 900 hours to research.

Their work included studying plant growth, exploring stem cell technology for treating diseases, and testing lighting systems to support astronauts’ sleep cycles. They also prepared the first wooden satellite for deployment and collected samples to investigate the survival of microorganisms in space.

With their return to Earth, fans have weighed in on their appearance before and after they went to space. Most fans focused on Suni with some netizens noticing certain aspects of her appearance that raised concerns.

This has led to speculation about her health as one person wrote, “She looks jaundiced ,hope [sic] her liver is ok.” Another said, “Sunni [sic] looks sick. I hope she is ok.”

Concerns continued, with one person questioning, “Why the lady looks yellow. [sic]” Another person wrote, “Those two especially, Sunni, don’t look well and both have IVs in their arms…she looks thin [sic].”

Focusing on Suni, one person wondered, “Is that an IV line in her arm? Like another person that commented, [sic] I noticed she looks jaundiced.”

A netizen noticed the same thing and commented, “The woman has an infusion inserted. I hope she recovers soon!!” while another remarked, “I am happy they are home. But she looks terrible. Prayers for all of them.”

A publication consulted several doctors to gain insight into the astronauts’ conditions. Dr. Olalekan Otulana, a general practitioner at Cassiobury Court in the UK, explained, “Sunita Williams’ visibly thin wrists could indicate muscular atrophy, particularly in the forearm muscles, which are less used in space.”

Focusing on the IV, he speculated, “The IV in her wrist is most likely for rehydration and electrolyte balance. This is very important after prolonged spaceflight to prevent dizziness and aid circulation in Earth’s gravity.”

Meanwhile, Dr. John Jaquish, a biomedical engineer at Jaquish Biomedical, suggested that Suni likely lost weight and bone density. He explained, “Without gravity, you don’t digest food as well. Compromising your ability to digest food is certainly going to contribute to muscle loss and bone loss on its own.”

The biomedical engineer also noted that the crew’s lack of movement from basic activities like walking could have contributed to Suni’s tendons and ligaments shrinking. Additionally, Dr. Vinay Gupta, a pulmonologist and Air Force veteran, shared his insights.

Vinay said, “I don’t think people realize that you need gravity to exercise your muscles, and if you don’t have gravity, your muscles have nothing to have resistance against.” Bone density loss and muscular atrophy make individuals more prone to fractures from simple movements or minor injuries, significantly reducing their mobility.

The pulmonologist also pointed out that women are more susceptible to bone density loss due to having smaller and lighter bones. A decline in protective hormones like estrogen after menopause could also contribute to the issue.

Vinay continued, “I’m not surprised that we saw and we’re seeing that she clearly has some issues there because women tend to be impacted by these things more than men.” Suni’s apparent weight loss may also be linked to spending months in a zero-gravity environment.

John further explained, “You don’t digest your food as well in space. When your stomach is upside down, it doesn’t move food as efficiently through the digestive system, so they have to eat less and wait longer.”

These eating habits can lead to a shrinking stomach and a reduced ability to absorb enough calories to maintain body weight. Dr. David Shafer, a plastic surgeon and owner of New York’s Shafer Clinic and Advitam Metabolic Wellness Clinic, also weighed in.

He said, “While great strides have been made in space-friendly food, sustaining on that diet for a very long time is likely not going to provide your body with optimal nutrition that you’d get from eating a more varied diet on Earth.”

David was referring to the shelf-stable, pre-packaged foods that have been freeze-dried and need rehydration. The doctors continued analyzing the astronauts’ conditions, with John pointing out that NASA personnel appeared to be supporting Suni and Butch, suggesting they had balance issues.

David explained, “Someone is hanging on to them because they could just easily tip over. They have lost their ability to balance themselves in the Earth’s gravitational field.”

Addressing speculation about Suni’s yellow-tinged skin or possible jaundice, John and Vinay gave input. They suggested her appearance could be due to not being exposed to sunlight for months. Additionally, Dr. Carole Lieberman, a Beverly Hills psychiatrist, discussed the potential psychological impact of the mission on Suni.

Carole noted, “These astronauts have been in space for nine months, [sic] when they were only supposed to be up there for 10 days. For most of this time, they couldn’t be sure they would ever be rescued, which is tremendously stressful.”

The psychiatrist added, “Sunita Williams put on a brave face and told everyone she was happy to have this extra time in space, but the prospect of facing a slow death in a space capsule is a thing that nightmares are made of — and it took a toll on her psyche.”

She continued, “Worrying about being rescued is stressful enough, but then pretending to herself and others that she is not worried takes an even greater toll.” Suni will need to be gradually reintroduced to food, and her exercise regimen will also have to progress slowly.

She will have to relearn basic movements like sitting and standing to regain her balance and reduce the risk of fractures. John noted, “She’s a very thin boned [sic] person. She may have to take longer because they want to avoid a fragility fracture because she’ll have low bone density.”

The process will be grueling, but the biomedical engineer is confident that both astronauts “can make a full recovery.” He anticipated that they would likely be able to return to space.

John added, “There’s nothing permanent about what they’ve done, but they have to be very targeted about what they’re doing from an exercise and nutritional standpoint to get back there.”

Suni and her crew’s return to Earth has sparked both celebration and concern, but experts have reassured the public about the effects of long-term space travel on the human body.