Astronaut Scott Kelly heading home

On March 27, 2015, NASA astronaut Scott Kelly, along with Russian Cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko took off to the International Space Station, beginning a one-year mission in space, testing the limits of human research, space exploration and the human spirit.

As most of America prepares for Super Tuesday, Scott Kelly – American astronaut and retired U.S. Navy Captain – is preparing for his return home.

Kelly will have completed 5,440 laps around the planet.

While Kelly claims to be ready to return to solid ground, he has expressed that if he needed to, he could probably do another 100 days, or possibly even a year, according to USA Today. I could go another year if I had to.

Kelly and his brother Mark, who has been part of one-year mission from earth, will be examined after the astronaut returns to earth.

While he said that he was looking forward to going home, Kelly said that he could just as easily stay, commenting: “I could go another year if I had to”.

Kelly’s stay in space offers NASA an intimate look at what happens to astronauts’ physical and mental health while staying in such micro-gravity environment. The board then will invite the most highly qualified candidates to the agency’s Johnson Space Centre in Houston for interviews before the final selection is made and the new astronaut candidates report to Johnson for training, the release said.

An upside for Kelly: he will come back to earth a fraction of a second younger than his twin as an effect of time dilation.

The study which is crucial for future missions to Mars hasn’t been without its difficulty however, and Kelly does admit that while it’s been “an incredible privilege, to be able to work for NASA and represent our country”, it has been hard being away from friends and family.