Scott Kelly’s mission has taken place over the last year, with him living on the International Space Station, performing many experiments. But his mission doesn’t end with his return to earth. He will be subjected to much studying to find out what the effects are on the human body after spending such a long time in space.
These experiments are in preparation for missions to Mars, which will involve months of travel in space. Many things change in space, for instance, astronauts’ eyeballs get flatter. Scott Kelly is now the American to have spent the longest amount of time living in space, meaning the tests will be invaluable.
The knowledge that will be gained from this will be vital for getting humans to Mars, but we’re glad Scott Kelly seems to have had a bit of fun getting the information, too!