Astronaut Scott Kelly to spend record-breaking year in space

Just a few moments ago, NASA astronaut Scott Kelly and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko lifted off for another trip to the International Space Station. But it’s not just any mission. Kelly and Kornienko will try to break the record for the longest space mission in history by staying at ISS for nearly a year.

The two are joined by Gennady Padalka, another Russian cosmonaut, who will only be in space for a typical six-month mission. The trio are on their way in a Soyuz space capsule, which launched from Baikonur, Kazakhstan, notes The Associated Press.

According to CNN, Kelly is set to spend 342 days off the earth during the mission. Considering his long career, Kelly can also break the record for most time in space for an American astronaut. He could pass Mike Fincke, who spent over 381 days in space.

The point of the mission is for NASA to see how a human being will react to such a long, sustained stay in space. Data like that will be necessary for planned missions to Mars or even farther out in space.

Kelly also has an identical twin - retired astronaut Mark Kelly - who will take part in a “Twins Study.” NASA will see how Mark’s body changes over a period of a year compared to his brother’s while Kelly is in space.