Astronaut Scott Kelly: Highlights of a year in space

Among those eagerly awaiting astronaut Scott Kelly’s return Tuesday from the International Space Station are researchers at UC San Diego.

Commander Scott Kelly and cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko marked their 300th consecutive day in space on January 21st, 2016.

He snapped hundreds of breathtaking pictures of the home planet and posted them on Instagram and Twitter as StationCDRKelly, not to be confused with ShuttleCDRKelly, retired astronaut Mark Kelly, his identical twin. Even better, scientists knew just the person to compare him with when he returned to Earth: His twin brother, Mark.

In a special ceremony, Scott Kelly called his departure from the ISS “bittersweet”. NASA will use that information in planning for a future trip to Mars.

The research is critical as it will take a year of space travel to reach Mars. Comparison samples were taken throughout their stay in space and will continue for a year or more after their return to Earth.

Last October, he set another record, becoming the first American astronaut to spend a total of 382 days in space.

The commander is the highest authority on the ISS, responsible for directing the activities of crew members, providing regular updates to the flight director, maintaining the peace, and preventing a space mutiny. He also would goof around during his time on the space station, as seen below.