Astronaut Barry "Butch" Wilmore is adjusting to life back on Earth after a nine-month mission in space, his daughter Daryn Wilmore said Thursday. The 62-year-old returned Tuesday aboard a SpaceX capsule with fellow astronaut Sunita Williams, 59, splashing down off Florida's coast. Daryn shared the update on TikTok, responding to a user's question about her father's transition.
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"He's doing good," Daryn said. "It's rough, but he's a trooper." The update came two days after Wilmore and Williams landed, concluding an extended stay on the International Space Station (ISS).
Adjusting to gravity poses a major challenge for astronauts after long missions. In microgravity, they float freely, relying less on muscles and bones. NASA reports that weight-bearing bones lose 1% to 1.5% of mineral density monthly in space. Muscle mass also declines faster than on Earth due to limited exercise options.
Meanwhile, SpaceX launched Crew Dragon 10 from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday. The mission carried NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japan's Takuya Onishi, and Russia's Kirill Peskov to the ISS. Wilmore and Williams returned with Nick Hague and Aleksandr Gorbunov, who completed their Crew 9 mission.
After landing, the astronauts flew to Houston for quarantine and medical checks. Daryn saw her father the day he arrived. The 19-year-old college sophomore documented her family's experience on TikTok, starting in August. She explained that thruster issues and helium leaks on their Boeing Starliner spacecraft stretched a planned 10-day trip into months. Originally, they expected Wilmore home by late February or early March.
Astronaut Returns Home
Daryn described her family's close bond with her father. His prolonged absence tested them. Still, they stayed in "constant contact" with him. In a February video, she hinted at frustration, saying "negligence" contributed to his situation. "It's less that he's up there sometimes; it's more the fact of why," she said. "There's a lot of politics."
On Wednesday, Daryn posted the final chapter of her "My Dad is Stuck in Space" series. "He's not anymore," she announced. Hours before his return, she recorded her joy. "I'm so happy. I'm so proud," she said. She plans to bake his favorite pecan pie and listed activities for their reunion.
For now, Wilmore faces medical tests and readjustment. "He'll spend the next few days with tests, lots of medical stuff," Daryn said. "They're still part of the experiment of human spaceflight." The process will help him regain strength and settle into Earth's routine.
Wilmore's journey highlights the physical toll of space travel. It also underscores the personal impact on families. Daryn's updates offered a rare glimpse into that world, blending relief with anticipation for normalcy.
