Scott Kelly Begins a Year in Space

The Space Foundation sends its best wishes to Scott Kelly as he begins his history-making year in space. Kelly set off for the International Space Station (ISS) today aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft, along with cosmonauts Mikhail Kornienko (pictured with Kelly), who also plans a year in space, and Gennady Padalka, who will spend six months on the ISS.

At 51, Kelly plans 342 days in space, to break the record for the longest mission on the ISS set by NASA astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Tyurin from September 2006, to April 2007.

Kelly’s year-long mission, when added to his previous space missions, will total 522 days in space, breaking the record of U.S. astronaut Mike Fincke.

Kelly is the twin brother of retired astronaut Mark Kelly. The brothers will participate in a NASA study to compare changes in the twins over the year they spend in very different environments.

Follow the story on Space Foundation social media, and see a BBC interview with Dr. Leroy Chiao, former NASA astronaut and Space Foundation Spcial Advisor – Human Spaceflight, sharing his experience as a six-month resident of the ISS here.