After nine months in space, NASA astronauts Barry ‘Butch’ Wilmore and Sunita ‘Suni’ Williams have finally returned to Earth. They were brought back aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft on Tuesday, March 18, after being ‘stranded’ on the International Space Station since June last year.

Their time in orbit has taken a toll. NASA quickly took them away on stretchers after their splash landing near Tallahassee, Florida. As the article says, “Being away from home for so long is bound to have an adverse effect on their health.”

Now back on Earth, Wilmore and Williams are experiencing gravity for the first time in months. According to the Daily Mail, this sudden shift can lead to issues like “‘chicken legs’ and ‘baby feet,'” and even an “increased risk of cancer.”

Both astronauts are undergoing extensive medical tests at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Experts have noted “some tell-tale signs that indicate a possible decline in their health,” though assessments are ongoing.Despite the challenges, they’re back breathing real air again—something you can’t take for granted after so long in space.