NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore, 59, and Suni Williams, 62, have just completed an incredible nine-month journey in space.
During their adventure, they orbited our beautiful planet a staggering 4,576 times, covering an astonishing 121 million miles!
Now, flight surgeons will carefully evaluate them as they readjust to Earth’s gravity before sending them back to their loved ones. Welcome home, heroes!
In the summer of 1992, USBE magazine published an important article that featured a study on bone loss in humans.
This study was significant for several reasons.
- Osteoporosis is a common bone disease that affects millions of people worldwide.
- According to the National Institutes of Health, certain groups are more likely to develop osteoporosis, and some populations face a higher risk than others.
USBE magazine highlighted insights from African American astronauts who discussed the relevance of this study to their profession. Astronauts experience bone loss in space due to the lack of gravity. Even more noteworthy is that the USBE cover story, titled "Reaching for the Stars," featured prominent figures such as Frederick D. Gregory, Mae C. Jemison, Bernard A. Harris, Charles F. Bolden, and Guy Bluford. All of these individuals received top honors at the BEYA conference in the early 1990s.
Fast forward to 2025, and everyone except Bluford shared their inspiring stories with a global audience this week during the "Meet the Astronauts" event hosted by africa.com.
We share this information because it is exciting news, and USBE magazine has highlighted underrepresented voices in STEM for decades—especially important in an era when much history is being overlooked.
Read excerpts from the 1992 USBE article below:
These featured individuals are doctors and naval pilots, and their degrees and backgrounds are as diverse as their reasons for joining the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Last October, an Associated Press article ran in Texas newspapers stating that white men experience excessive bone loss during long-term space travel. The article quoted researchers who said that African American males have denser bones and would handle the medical risks associated with long-duration space missions better than white men and women, who generally have smaller bones.
The article partly focused on Dr. Charles Pak, then head of the Mineral Metabolism Department at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. He received a grant from NASA to investigate whether an experimental drug could slow down the bone loss of white men who were bedridden for weeks to simulate the effects of weightlessness in space.
The study generated considerable attention, as well as resentment, mainly because it focused exclusively on Caucasian males. The director of medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center explained that most people affected by the program would be white males, making it logical for the study to focus solely on them.
One doctor specializing in osteoporosis noted that the body's ability to regenerate lost bone material slows down significantly in space. Studies show that after their mid-30s, Caucasian males typically lose about 2.5 percent of their bone mass annually under normal conditions.
Dr. Bernard Harris stated in USBE magazine, "It is true that African American males have denser bones. Whether that protects you in space is still an open question."
Harris explained that NASA is trying to measure bone loss and develop countermeasures. Among the measures tested at Johnson Space Center are exercise, calcium replacement, and vitamin supplementation.
These countermeasures are particularly important for long-term space flights, which typically last at least a year and a half. In contrast, the primary concern with short-term flights is maintaining muscle conditioning.
Harris shared with USBE magazine that he participated in experiments with Dr. Patricia Cowings at the NASA Ames Research Center, who conducted several tests on astronauts.
One of these tests examined the physiological issues that contribute to the emotional challenges astronauts face in space. As a volunteer, Harris helped analyze the body's changes before launch, allowing Dr. Cowings to prescribe therapy to monitor any problematic areas.
In 1991, a mission was launched to determine what triggers symptoms like bone loss.
According to a March 16, 2023 article on NASA's website, both ground-based and flight research are conducted to characterize the effects of actual or simulated spaceflight on the musculoskeletal system and evaluate the effectiveness of countermeasures to mitigate those changes.
Moreover, extramural policymakers in osteoporosis and densitometry guide the development of astronaut medical standards and the physiological interpretation of data on bone and muscle loss.
The team's capabilities include performing musculoskeletal evaluations for on-site research and collaborative studies with external institutions.
This testing involves using DXA scanning and generating DXA skeletal health reports from certified technologists for clinical and research purposes.
The Bone and Mineral team also implements DXA quality control procedures for all clinical and research densitometry, as well as for bone tissue and soft tissue analysis, including body composition assessments.
They facilitate the application of research protocols and data analysis for quantitative computed tomography bone imaging, pQCT scanning, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of muscle mass and volume, and general X-ray and imaging services.