WATCH: First video of NASA’s Scott Kelly landing on Earth after 340 days in space
Accompanied by flight engineer Sergey Volkov and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko, Commander Scott Kelly landed safely in Kazakhstan after spending 340 days in space on the International space station (ISS)
Commander Scott Kelly landed safely in Kazakhstan after spending 340 days in space on the International space station. Scott Kelly was accompanied by flight engineer Sergey Volkov and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko.
The comrades touched down in Kazakhstan at 11:26 p.m. Eastern time (EST) in clear weather onboard the Soyuz (spacecraft). Russian Mi-8 search and recovery helicopters circled the landing zone to insure swift reaction once the spacecraft lands. The descent rate was reduce from 80 metres per second to 7.2 metres by a huge parachute which was opened at an altitude of 6.6 miles.
With research from Scott Kelly’s year aboard the International Space Station (ISS) NASA researchers will learn the effects prolonged durations in space can have on a human body. This in turn can help NASA determine countermeasures for future space exploration mission like a Mars exploration mission which is estimated to take around 2-3 years.
Scott Kelly will undergo a series of functional tests like climbing a ladder, getting up from a seated position and maneuvering through obstacles as well as a full physical exam.