Astronaut returns from 1 year in space

I haven’t seen this posted yet.
Scott Kelly just returned from a 1 year ISS mission in what is referred to as the “Twins Study” because his twin brother (Mark, also a former astronaut) remained on Earth as a 1G control subject acting as a baseline to study Scott’s response to long duration spaceflight. On a side note, the record for most applications to be and astronaut candidate was just smashed, at over 18,000 applications submitted. NASA record smashed

A Year in Space Advances Our Journey to Mars

NASA’s journey to Mars reached another milestone now that astronaut Scott Kelly has returned to Earth from the ISS after setting an American record for continuous time on orbit. Research from Scott’s amazing accomplishment provides critical data we will evaluate intensely in the coming months and years to help prepare for our next missions to deep space and on to the Red Planet.

Scott’s mission encompassed 5,440 Earth orbits and more than 143 million miles traveled. That’s in the ballpark of a journey to Mars in and of itself! But beyond the statistics, Scott engaged millions of people around the world with his human journey. His social media posts, his amazing photos of our planet from orbit and the video downlinks in which he shared his experiences for students around the world have certainly energized the “space generation” to join him and NASA on our journey to the Red Planet.

The one-year crew mission is the latest step in the International Space Station’s role as a platform for preparing humanity for exploration into deeper space and our Journey to Mars. During more than 15 years of continuous human presence aboard the Space Station, scientists and researchers have gained valuable data about the effects of microgravity on bone density, muscle mass, strength, vision and other aspects of human physiology. This knowledge is vital to helping us prepare for the physical and mental changes and challenges astronauts may face when they embark on longer-duration missions.

10 things to know about Kelly's year in space