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Astronaut Scott Kelly Returns to Earth After 340-Day Space Mission
Scott Kelly Completes Historic Space Mission and Returns to Earth
NASA astronaut Scott Kelly has successfully returned to Earth, landing in Kazakhstan after completing a 340-day mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS). This marks the longest single spaceflight by an American astronaut. Kelly orbited Earth 16 times a day, covering a total distance of 143 million miles—roughly the distance between Earth and Mars. The mission aimed to study the effects of long-duration space travel on the human body and gather critical data for future deep-space missions, such as those to Mars.
Researching the Impact of Spaceflight on the Human Body
NASA will now extensively study the 52-year-old astronaut to understand the impact of prolonged weightlessness on the human body. Research areas include changes in muscles and bones, eye health, fluid shifts, brain function, and exposure to high levels of radiation. The psychological effects of living in cramped, isolated conditions during spaceflight will also be assessed. This study will be uniquely compared with data from Kelly's identical twin brother, former astronaut Mark Kelly, to analyze genetic structural changes. Throughout his mission, Kelly shared his experiences and scientific experiments on social media, including floating weightlessly and playing with water bubbles. He emphasized the importance of spaceflight and expressed his desire to remain on the front lines of exploration.
*Source: YouTube: CBS News (2026-03-31)*
