If you walked into a room with Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams today, you might not immediately see the toll of 286 days in microgravity. They’re professional. They’re Navy test pilots. They carry themselves with that specific kind of military stoicism that makes "getting stuck in space" sound like a minor scheduling hiccup.
But the data—and the photos—tell a different story.
When the pair launched on June 5, 2024, for what was supposed to be a breezy 10-day test flight of the Boeing Starliner, they looked like typical veteran astronauts. Suni was lean and athletic; Butch was solid. Fast forward through a saga of helium leaks, failed thrusters, and a controversial transition to the SpaceX Crew-9 mission, and the "after" version of these two looks remarkably different.
Honestly, the physical transformation isn't just about weight loss or grey hair. It's about what happens to a human being when the environment they were evolved for—Earth—is stripped away for nearly a year.
Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams Before and After: The Visible Toll
The most striking "before and after" isn't the spacecraft; it's the astronauts' faces. If you look at the footage from their return in March 2025, you’ll notice a "gaunt" appearance that sparked a lot of internet chatter.
NASA insists they were healthy, but the "puffy face, chicken legs" syndrome is a real thing. In space, fluids shift toward the head. Once you land, that fluid drains, and the lack of traditional weight-bearing exercise can leave an astronaut looking thinner and more weathered.
What changed physically?
- The "Space Face" Factor: Before launch, their facial structures were defined by gravity. After nine months, the fluid shifts and muscle atrophy in the neck and jaw can make an astronaut look like they've aged a decade in a year.
- Bone Density Loss: This is the invisible "after." They likely lost about 1% of their bone density every single month. That’s nearly 10% of their skeletal strength gone by the time they splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico.
- Vision Shifts: It’s called SANS (Spaceflight-Associated Neuro-ocular Syndrome). Basically, the pressure in their heads flattened the back of their eyeballs. Before they left, they had one prescription; after they returned, they likely needed another.
Why the Mission Lasted 278 Days Longer Than Planned
The transition from a 10-day "hop" to a 9-month "marathon" wasn't some grand plan. It was a crisis of confidence.
Boeing's Starliner was the pride of the fleet until it wasn't. Five thrusters failed during the initial docking. Helium was leaking. NASA leaders, specifically Steve Stich and even the new administrator Jared Isaacman (who took over in the 2025 administration change), had to make a call.
They decided it was too risky to put Butch and Suni back in that capsule.
So, they waited. They became part of the ISS permanent crew. Suni even took command of the station. They didn't just sit around eating freeze-dried shrimp; they performed maintenance, conducted science, and Suni even broke the record for most career spacewalking time by a woman—clocking in at 62 hours and 6 minutes.
🔗 Read more: Florida Man October 31st: What Really Happens When Halloween Hits the Sunshine State
The SpaceX Rescue
The real "after" moment for the mission was when NASA bumped Zena Cardman and Stephanie Wilson from the Crew-9 flight to leave two seats open for Butch and Suni. It was an awkward, historic move. It signaled that Boeing had lost its grip on the Commercial Crew Program for the foreseeable future.
The Psychological "Before and After"
We talk a lot about the body, but what about the mind?
Before launch, Butch Wilmore was preparing to be home in time for the bulk of his daughter's senior year of high school. He missed it. He missed the graduation. He missed the college move-in. That’s a heavy price.
Suni Williams is notoriously tough, but even she talked about "missing the smell of Earth" and her family. Living in a "metal can" for 286 days isn't just a physical challenge; it’s a sensory deprivation tank.
Where are they now? (January 2026 Status)
As of January 2026, both astronauts are back on Earth and deep into their reconditioning programs.
Coming back from 9 months in space isn't like getting off a long flight. You can't walk. You're dizzy. Your vestibular system thinks the floor is moving. They spent the better part of 2025 in physical therapy to rebuild their calf muscles and balance.
💡 You might also like: Ashley Harada Billings MT: What Most People Get Wrong About the Bench
The Boeing Starliner Situation:
The spacecraft itself is currently a bit of a ghost. The latest reports from early 2026 suggest Boeing is pivoting. Starliner-1 is now being looked at as an uncrewed cargo mission for late 2026, while engineers still wrestle with oxidizer-valve issues.
Actionable Takeaways: What We Learned from Butch and Suni
The "before and after" of this mission changed how NASA operates. If you're following space news, keep these insights in mind:
- Redundancy is King: The only reason Butch and Suni are home safely is that NASA had a "Plan B" with SpaceX. Expect every future mission to have an even more robust backup plan.
- Health Recovery is Slow: Don't expect to see Butch or Suni on a flight manifest anytime soon. Recovery from a 9-month stint takes at least double the time spent in orbit to fully regain bone density.
- The Commercial Space Race is Over (For Now): SpaceX has effectively become the "primary" for NASA. Boeing’s path back to crewed flight is long, expensive, and currently stalled until at least late 2026.
Keep an eye on the Crew-11 mission updates. As of this week, a medical evacuation has already occurred on the ISS, proving that even with Butch and Suni home, the "long-duration" health risks of space are still the biggest hurdle for Mars.
Next Steps for Readers:
- Check the latest NASA+ livestreams for updates on the Starliner-1 cargo conversion scheduled for April 2026.
- Review the NASA SANS research papers if you want to understand the permanent vision changes Butch and Suni are likely managing today.