On March 27, 2015, American astronaut Scott Kelly and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko took off for the International Space Station in the Soyuz spacecraft for a historic One Year Mission, twice the length of an average ISS stay. From ReelNASA:
In the opening chapter of Space Station Stories, we take a look at the first one year crew to ever fly onboard the orbiting laboratory. NASA astronaut Scott Kelly and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko will spend nearly twelve months conducting important human research studies that will provide new insights into how the human body adjusts to weightlessness, isolation, radiation and stress of long-duration spaceflight. This is just the next step in preparing humanity for the ultimate goal: the journey to Mars.
As @NYTScience noted: “It is now quicker to go from Earth to the space station than it is to fly from New York to London.” After six hours, Kelly, Kornienko, and Commander Gennady Padalka docked with and boarded ISS, joining Terry Virts, Anton Shkaplerov, and Samantha Cristoforetti on the station.
In the archives: More astronaut videos, including Neil Armstrong’s first steps on the moon, Dr. Mae Jemison, Chris Hadfield, Leland Melvin, and Commander Sunita Williams’ super interesting 25 minute tour of ISS.Curated, kid-friendly, independently-published. Support this mission by becoming a sustaining member today.